Telecommunications Reports presents . . . . . TR's State NewsWire
February 8, 2001, 2 P.M. Edition



STATES
ARKANSAS -- House approves Internet filtering bill
INDIANA -- Senate passes bill to enact UETA
OREGON -- Companies could get 20% tax break for building advanced
telecom facilities
MAINE -- PUC proposes high-cost universal service fund
INDIANA -- URC to continue addressing Verizon UNEs
IDAHO -- PUC seeks more input on possible fiber route
MICHIGAN -- Legislation would create 'cybercourt'
HAWAII -- Bills would set up a cyberspace entrepreneurs' academy
KANSAS -- Committee seeks E911 surcharge
KENTUCKY -- Bill would establish no-call list
ILLINOIS -- Measure would establish school Internet policies
PENNSYLVANIA -- PUC approves '911' renewal plans for Blair, Huntingdon
counties
CONN. -- Bill would require carriers to obtain owners' permission to
install lines


INTERNET
ARKANSAS
House approves Internet filtering bill

The House has passed a bill that would require public schools and
libraries to use Internet filters to restrict access to content that is
"harmful to minors."  HB 1003, sponsored by Rep. Russ Bennett (R.,
District 22), would require public schools and libraries either to
install their own Internet filters or offer Internet access through a
provider that filters content.  (1/17/01 p.m.)  The filtering rules
would apply to any public access computer.

HB 1003 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Technology and
Legislative Affairs.  Its text is available at
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2001/htm/HB1003.pdf.



INTERNET
INDIANA
Senate passes bill to enact UETA

The Senate has passed and sent to the House a bill to apply the Uniform
Electronic Transaction Act to the Uniform Commercial Code sections on
sales and leases.  SB 46 hasn't been assigned to a House committee yet.



ADVANCED SERVICES
OREGON
Companies could get 20% tax break for building advanced telecom
facilities

Legislators will be considering a bill to set up a 20% tax credit for
any company building advanced telecom facilities that meet certain
specifications.  The tax credit would apply to the certified cost of
building the facilities.

SB 479 would require interested companies to apply to the Economic and
Community Development Department for certification of their facilities
as "advanced telecommunications facilities."  To be eligible for the tax
credit, the facilities would have to (1) be located in an area where the
current minimum bandwidth service isn't available to a majority of the
customers, (2) improve access to advanced telecom services for a
majority of all customers in unserved or underserved service areas, and
(3) meet performance standards set by the department.

The tax credit couldn't exceed the tax liability of the taxpayer and
couldn't be carried forward to a succeeding tax year.  The amount of the
credit wouldn't include any facility costs that were covered by the
telecommunications infrastructure account.

SB 479, which was sponsored by the Committee on Information Management
and Technology, awaits consideration by that committee.



UNIVERSAL SERVICE
MAINE
PUC proposes high-cost universal service fund

The Public Utilities Commission has proposed a universal service fund
(USF) to support rural local exchange carriers (LECs) with high
service-delivery costs.  The PUC said that without a high-cost USF, some
rural LECs won't be able to offer affordable rates to consumers while
maintaining enough revenue to stay in business, because of recent
intrastate access rate cuts.

The commission said it also would open a second proceeding to establish
a "fair competition USF."  This second fund would "identify and make
explicit any implicit subsidies contained in current rates."  It also
would provide "portable support" to competitive carriers to encourage
local service competition in all of Verizon Maine's exchanges.

The commission hopes to have the high-cost USF in place by May 30.  It
said the fair competition USF may "require somewhat more time to
complete" and set a Dec. 31 "target date" to finish that proceeding.
Comments on the high-cost USF are due Feb. 27.  (Docket no. 2001-81,
Inquiry into Implementing a State Universal Service Fund for Local
Exchange Carriers)



SECTION 251/252
INDIANA
URC to continue addressing Verizon UNEs

The Utility Regulatory Commission yesterday opened a new subdocket to
examine several new services, such as line sharing and loop
conditioning, provided by Verizon North, Inc.  Also yesterday, the
commission ordered Verizon to file a tariff within 30 days outlining
rates, charges, and terms and conditions for basic unbundled network
elements (UNEs), including interim loop conditioning and shared
transport rates.  The tariff must address issues approved by the URC in
its investigation of Verizon's UNE provisioning.  (Case no. 40618)

The URC said that, ideally, the investigation would continue until all
issues were addressed but said that requiring Verizon to go ahead and
file the tariff executes the commission's commitment to local exchange
competition.

Comments on what issues and UNEs should be addressed in the new docket
are due March 5.  Replies are due march 19.  (Cause no. 40618-S1 - In
the Matter of the Commission Investigation and Generic Proceeding on
GTE's Rates for Interconnection Services, Unbundled Elements, Transport
and Termination Under the Telecommunication Act of 1996 and Related
Indiana Statutes)



ADVANCED SERVICES
IDAHO
PUC seeks more input on possible fiber route

The Public Utilities Commission has established another round of
comments, which are due Feb. 28, on whether building a fiber optic route
between Riggins and Grangeville is in the public interest.  (1/4/01
a.m.)  The second round of comments should address the first round of
comments, which were due Jan. 31.

The PUC staff and Citizens Telecommunications Co. of Idaho support
constructing a fiber route, which would improve communications between
the communities and improve emergency call services.  Verizon Northwest,
Inc., also backs the fiber route but suggests extending it farther
north.  Riggins is 45 miles south of Grangeville, which is in Idaho
County.  Public comments also support constructing the route.

Qwest Corp. recognizes that the fiber route would be beneficial but
questions whether the benefit would be greater if the funds were
deposited in the Idaho high-cost fund for nonrural companies.  The route
would be funded with the $4.94 million set aside by Qwest from its sale
of eight local exchanges to Citizens.  (6/6/00 a.m.)  When Citizens
bought the exchanges from Qwest, the companies proposed using the money
to bolster the new Idaho high-cost fund.

Citizens estimates the route would cost $3.8 million.  Rock surfaces
along about 25% of the route will make burying the cable difficult and
increase the expense.

Avista Communications of Idaho, Inc., says it's concerned about whether
competitive local exchange carriers would be assured equal access to the
fiber route as revenue-neutral rates.  (Case no. GNR-T-00-40, In the
Matter of the Commission Staff's
Proposal for Installation of a Fiber Route Between Riggins and
Grangeville, Idaho)



INTERNET
MICHIGAN
Legislation would create 'cybercourt'

A bill introduced in the House would create a "cybercourt" to "allow
disputes between business and commercial entities to be resolved with
the speed and efficiency required by the information age economy."  Gov.
John Engler (R.) outlined the cybercourt initiative during his State of
the State address.

The cybercourt would be located in one or more counties, as determined
by the state's Supreme Court.  It would have facilities designed to
allow all hearings and proceedings to be conducted by electronic
communications, including video, audio, and Internet conferencing.  When
technically feasible, all cybercourt proceedings would be broadcast on
the Internet.

The Supreme Court would assign circuit court judges to serve on the
cybercourt.  It would have concurrent jurisdiction over commercial
litigation actions in which the amount in controversy exceeded $25,000.
The cybercourt wold have the same power to subpoena witness, require the
production of evidence, and punish for contempt as the circuit court
has.

Forty-three House members introduced HB 4140.  Its text is available at
http://198.109.122.10/pdf/house.bills.intro/2001-2002/4140hhhh.pdf.



HAWAII
Bills would set up a cyberspace entrepreneurs' academy

Two bills have been introduced in the Legislature to direct the
Department of Education to establish a cyberspace entrepreneurs'
academy.  A similar program, which has taken root in several public
schools across the state, has produced "dramatic, positive, and
measurable changes," according to the measures.  Students in the program
quickly grasp and practice entrepreneurial and business skills and
techniques, according to HB 1230 and SB 582.

The bills would direct the department to establish an academy for the
2001-2002 school year that includes 3-year-olds through 12th graders.
Attendance at the academy would be voluntary and based on space and
funding.  According to the bill, a sum must be appropriated from the
state's general revenues to fund the program, but no amount is
specified.

HB 1230 and SB 582 state that a physical site for the academy should be
sought, preferably adjacent to the Kakaako redevelopment area.  The
first year of the program would be the design, planning, and recruitment
phase.

The academy would function under the direction of a cyberspace
entrepreneurs' board and would work with government agencies to develop
partnerships.  A board directs the current programs operating within the
schools.

The House Education Committee is scheduled to hear HB 1230 today, which
is sponsored by Rep. Kenneth Ito (D., District 48).  He is the chairman
of the House Education Committee.  HB 1230 also awaits consideration by
the House Finance Committee.

SB 582, which was sponsored by Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D., District 16),
awaits consideration by the Senate Education Committee and the Senate
Ways and Means Committee.  Sakamoto is chairman of the Senate Education
Committee.



WIRELESS
KANSAS
Committee seeks E911 surcharge

The Senate Committee on Commerce has introduced SB 226 to require
wireless carriers to collect an E911 surcharge of up to 50 cents per
month from each subscriber.  The surcharge would appear as a separate
line item on the subscriber's monthly bill.

SB 226 also would create an E911 fund, which would be managed by an
administrator appointed by the governor.  Wireless carriers would remit
money collected from the surcharge to the administrator, who would give
the funds to the state treasurer for credit to the E911 fund.

An E911 advisory board would be created to advise the administrator on
the implementation, administration, maintenance, and development of E911
service.  The governor would appoint 11 board members, including county
and municipal officials, legislators, wireless industry representatives,
and public safety answering point managers.



CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
KENTUCKY
Bill would establish no-call list

Rep. Jack L. Coleman Jr. (D., District 55) has introduced a bill to
restrict telemarketers and create a no-call list to be maintained by the
attorney general.  HB 155 would limit the practices telemarketers could
engage in during telephone solicitations.  Telemarketers couldn't
circumvent a consumer's Caller ID service or allow a consumer's phone to
ring for more than 30 seconds.  In addition, telemarketers couldn't
misrepresent their identities, threaten a consumer, or use profane
language during a sales call.

HB 155 would create a "zero-call" list for consumers over the age of
70.  Telemarketers wouldn't be able to call anyone on the zero-call list
unless the consumer previously had given the telemarketer direct
permission.  Telemarketers would be able to call consumers on the
no-call list with whom they had a prior or current business
relationship, whereas they couldn't do the same with consumers on the
zero-call list.

The attorney general would maintain both lists and publish them
quarterly.  Consumers could bring a civil action against telemarketers
who violated HB 155, seeking to enjoin the violation or to collect
compensatory and punitive damages.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Elections,
Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs.



INTERNET
ILLINOIS
Measure would establish school Internet policies

Rep. Anne Zickus (R., Palos Hills) has introduced a bill to require
school boards to adopt written policies requiring public access
computers to be equipped with software that prevents minors from gaining
access to explicit sexual materials.  The school board would have to
allow teachers or other authorized adult employees to circumvent the
filter software to give certain minors unfiltered Internet access for
specific projects that have a legitimate educational purpose.

HB 806, which was introduced yesterday, has been referred to the House
Rules Committee.



NETWORK MANAGEMENT
PENNSYLVANIA
PUC approves '911' renewal plans for Blair, Huntingdon counties

The Public Utility Commission today granted three-year extensions of two
counties' "911" service contribution rates.  The PUC approved the 911
system renewal plans received from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency (PEMA) for Blair and Huntingdon counties.

Pennsylvania law requires PEMA to administer a statewide 911 emergency
system.  Counties are allowed to recover the costs for 911 systems by
assessing a fee, collected by carriers, on every telephone line.  The
maximum fee that can be collected per telephone line is $1 for first and
second class counties, $1.25 for third through fifth class counties, and
$1.50 for sixth through eight class counties.

Blair County, a fifth class county with a population of about 130,000,
will maintain its current contribution rate of $1.25 per access line per
month.  Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc., and United Telephone Co. of
Pennsylvania, Inc., serve the county.

Huntingdon County, with about 44,000 residents, is a sixth class county
and will maintain its current $1.50 rate.  Verizon, United Telephone,
and ALLTEL Pennsylvania, Inc., serve Huntingdon.  (Docket nos.
M-00930428 and M-00970952)



STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CONNECTICUT
Bill would require carriers to obtain owners' permission to install
lines

Rep. Anthony J. D'Amelio (R., District 71) has introduced a bill to
require telecom and cable TV companies to obtain a property owner's
permission before installing new lines on the property.  HB 6168 has
been referred to the Committee on Energy and Technology.  Its text is
available at
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/tob/h/2001HB-06168-R00-HB.htm.



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