5999-S AMS HOCH CAMP 001

SSB 5999 - S AMD 054

    By Senators Hochstatter, West, Honeyford, Finkbeiner, Hewitt, Swecker, Stevens, McDonald, Morton, Horn and Shin

                                              NOT ADOPTED 03/12/01

    On page 1, after line 18, insert the following:

    "Sec. 2. RCW 80.36.430 and 1990 c 170 s 3 are each amended to read as follows: 

    The Washington telephone assistance program shall be funded by a telephone assistance excise tax on all switched access lines and by funds from any federal government or other programs for this purpose.  Switched access lines are defined in RCW 82.14B.020.  The telephone assistance excise tax shall be applied equally to all residential and business access lines not to exceed fourteen cents per month.  Upon the effective date of this act, the telephone assistance excise tax  applied to affected access lines shall be reduced by two cents per month until such time as the revenues generated for the purposes of this act are not more than one million dollars above the costs of the Washington telephone assistance program. The telephone assistance excise tax shall be separately identified on each ratepayer's bill as the "Washington telephone assistance program."  All money collected from the telephone assistance excise tax shall be transferred to a telephone assistance fund administered by the department.  Local exchange companies shall bill the fund for their expenses incurred in offering the telephone assistance program, including administrative and program expenses.  The department shall disburse the money to the local exchange companies.  The department is exempted from having to conclude a contract with local exchange companies in order to effect this reimbursement.  The department shall recover its administrative costs from the fund.  The department may specify by rule the range and extent of administrative and program expenses that will be reimbursed to local exchange companies.

    Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

SSB 5999 - S AMD 054

    By Senators Hochstatter, West, Honeyford, Finkbeiner, Hewitt, Swecker, Stevens, McDonald, Morton, Horn and Shin

                                              NOT ADOPTED 03/12/01

    On page 1, on line 2 of the title, after "80.36.410,", insert " 80.36.430,"

C END C

EFFECT: Reduces the WTAP excise tax by two cents until the WTAP surplus is reduced to $1 million.