HR 1171 IH
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1171
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 in order to require the
Federal Communications Commission to fulfill the sufficient universal service
support requirements for high cost areas, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 22, 2001
Mr. DEAL of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 in order to require the
Federal Communications Commission to fulfill the sufficient universal service
support requirements for high cost areas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Universal Service Support Act'.
SEC. 2 REMOVAL OF IMPEDIMENTS TO SUFFICIENT SUPPORT MECHANISMS.
Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
`(m) REMOVAL OF IMPEDIMENTS TO SUFFICIENT SUPPORT MECHANISMS-
`(1) REMOVAL OF CAPS ON HIGH COST SUPPORT MECHANISMS- The caps and
limitations on universal service support contained in sections 36.601(c),
36.621(4), and 54.305 of the Commission's regulations (47 CFR 36.601,
36.621(4), and 54.305) shall cease to be effective on the date of enactment
of the Universal Service Support Act. The Commission shall not, on or after
such date of enactment, enforce or reimpose caps or limitations on support
mechanisms for rural telephone companies, or for any exchanges acquired by a
rural telephone company, based on fund size or other considerations
unrelated to the sufficiency of support to achieve the purposes of this
section.
`(2) HIGH COST SUPPORT AND NATIONWIDE AVERAGE CALCULATIONS- The
Commission shall--
`(A) calculate that portion of the high cost support mechanism
attributable to loops that have costs that are in excess of 115 percent of
the nationwide average under section 36.631 of the Commission's
regulations (47 CFR 36.631) as in effect on the date of enactment of the
Universal Service Support Act, and
`(B) calculate the nationwide average unseparated loop cost for
purposes of sections 36.621(a)(1)-(3) and 36.622 of those regulations (47
CFR 36.621(a)(1)-(3) and 36.622) as in effect on such date of enactment of
such Act,
taking into account the elimination of caps and limitations of support
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.'.
END