AN ACT Relating to the Washington telephone assistance program; and amending RCW 80.36.420, 80.36.430, 80.36.450, 80.36.460, 80.36.470, and 80.36.480.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 4, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.420 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~Lifeline assistance~~)) The Washington telephone assistance program shall be available to participants of department programs set forth in RCW 80.36.470. ((~~Lifeline assistance~~)) The Washington telephone assistance program shall consist of the following components:

(1) A discount on service connection fees of ((~~fifty~~)) seventy-five percent as set forth in RCW 80.36.460.

(2) A waiver of deposit requirements on local exchange service, as set forth in RCW 80.36.460.

(3) A discounted flat rate ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate for local exchange service, which shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) The commission shall establish a single ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate for all local exchange companies operating in the state of Washington. The ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate shall include any federal end user access charges and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service.

(b) The commission shall, in establishing the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate, consider all charges for local exchange service, including federal end user access charges, mileage charges, extended area service, and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service.

(c) The ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate shall only be available to eligible customers subscribing to the lowest available local exchange flat rate one-party service, where the lowest local exchange flat rate, including any federal end user access charges and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service, is greater than the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service rate.

(d) The cost of providing the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service shall be paid, to the maximum extent possible, by a waiver of all or part of the federal end user access charge and, to the extent necessary, from the lifeline fund created by RCW 80.36.430.

Sec. 2. Section 5, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.430 are each amended to read as follows:

Costs associated with ((~~lifeline telephone~~)) Washington telephone assistance program service shall be recovered through a ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program surcharge on all other switched access lines. The ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program surcharge shall be applied equally to all residential and business access lines not to exceed sixteen cents per month. The surcharge collected by the telecommunications companies shall not be construed as gross income or gross receipts for purposes of state, county or municipal public utility taxes. All money collected from the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program surcharge shall be transferred to a ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program fund administered by the department. Local exchange companies shall bill the fund for their expenses incurred in offering ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program telecommunications services, including administrative and program expenses. The department shall disburse the money to the local exchange companies. The department shall recover its administrative costs from the fund.

Sec. 3. Section 7, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.450 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~Lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program services shall be limited to one residential access line per eligible household.

Sec. 4. Section 8, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.460 are each amended to read as follows:

Local exchange companies shall file tariffs with the commission which waive deposits on local exchange service for eligible subscribers and which establish a ((~~fifty~~)) seventy-five percent discount on service connection fees for eligible subscribers. The remaining portion of the connection fee to be paid by the subscriber shall be expressly payable by installment fees spread over a period of months. A subscriber may, however, choose to pay the connection fee in a lump sum. Costs associated with the waiver and discount shall be accounted for separately and recovered from the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program fund. Eligible subscribers shall be allowed one waiver of a deposit and one discount on service connection fees per year.

Sec. 5. Section 9, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.470 are each amended to read as follows:

Participants in the following department programs are eligible for ((~~lifeline assistance~~)) the Washington telephone assistance program: Aid to families with dependent children, chore services, ((~~food stamps,~~)) supplemental security income, refugee assistance, and community options program entry system (COPES). The department shall notify the participants of their eligibility.

Sec. 6. Section 10, chapter 229, Laws of 1987 and RCW 80.36.480 are each amended to read as follows:

The energy and utilities committees of the legislature shall review the results of the ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program and shall explore by December 15, 1989, whether additional ((~~lifeline~~)) Washington telephone assistance program measures are warranted.