Texas Utilities Code - Section 55.015. Lifeline Service
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§ 55.015. LIFELINE SERVICE. (a) The commission shall
adopt rules prohibiting a certificated provider of local exchange
telephone service from discontinuing basic network services listed
in Section 58. 051 to a consumer who receives lifeline service
because of nonpayment by the consumer of charges for other services
billed by the provider, including interexchange telecommunications
service.
(b) The commission shall adopt rules providing for
automatic enrollment to receive lifeline service for eligible
consumers. The Texas Department of Human Services, on request of
the commission, shall assist in the adoption and implementation of
those rules. The commission and the Texas Department of Human
Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding
establishing the respective duties of the commission and department
in relation to the automatic enrollment.
(b-1) The commission shall adopt rules requiring
certificated providers of local exchange telephone service to
implement procedures to ensure that all consumers are clearly
informed both orally and in writing of the existence of the lifeline
service program when they request or initiate service or change
service locations or providers. On or before June 1, 2006, the
commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the
Health and Human Services Commission, and, to the maximum extent
feasible, housing authorities in the principal cities of each
metropolitan statistical area, to improve enrollment rates in the
lifeline service program.
(c) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone
service may block a lifeline service participant's access to all
interexchange telecommunications service except toll-free numbers
when the participant owes an outstanding amount for that service.
The provider shall remove the block without additional cost to the
participant on payment of the outstanding amount.
(d) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone
service shall offer a consumer who applies for or receives lifeline
service the option of blocking all toll calls or, if technically
capable, placing a limit on the amount of toll calls. The provider
may not charge the consumer an administrative charge or other
additional amount for the blocking service.
(d-1) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone
service shall provide access to lifeline service to a customer
whose income is not more than 150 percent of the applicable income
level established by the federal poverty guidelines or in whose
household resides a person who receives or has a child who receives:
(1) Medicaid;
(2) food stamps;
(3) Supplemental Security Income;
(4) federal public housing assistance;
(5) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
assistance; or
(6) health benefits coverage under the state child
health plan under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code.
(d-2) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone
service shall provide consumers who apply for or receive lifeline
service access to available vertical services or custom calling
features, including caller ID, call waiting, and call blocking, at
the same price as other consumers. Lifeline discounts shall only
apply to that portion of the bill that is for basic network service.
(e) In this section, "lifeline service" means a retail local
service offering described by 47 C.F.R. Section 54.401(a), as
amended.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1212, § 21, eff. Sept. 1,
1999. Amended by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 2, § 9, eff.
Sept. 1, 2005.
Section: 55.008 55.009 55.010 55.011 55.012 55.013 55.014 55.015 55.016 55.017 55.021 55.022 55.023 55.024 55.025
Last modified: August 10, 2007
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