Universal Telephone Service Preservation Act of 1983

Summary

Universal Telephone Service Preservation Act of 1983 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a system of exchange access charges in order to: (1) achieve equal treatment among all inter-local access and transport area (LATA) carriers and other customers using the services of exchange companies through direct or indirect connection; (2) assure that payments and assignments of costs relating to exchange access are carried out in a manner which is open for public examination; (3) achieve flexibility in accommodating changes in market conditions and technology; (4) establish incentives for efficient investment decisions and technological choices; and (5) ensure that exchange carriers are compensated for their costs of providing exchange access. Directs the Universal Telephone Service Joint Board (established by this Act) to establish a universal service charge schedule to insure that basic telephone service will be available at reasonable rates throughout the United States. Requires such schedule to designate universal service costs to be allocated to a Federal jurisdiction and to provide for their collection by means of a universal service charge that is payable by any interLATA carrier or any provider of interLATA services or any private system that connects directly or indirectly to any exchange carrier or any local exchange switched network used to provide basic telephone service. Entitles each exchange company qualifying for payments to 90 percent of its reasonably incurred universal service costs which are directly related to the efficient and economic provision of such service. States that universal service costs shall consist of an exchange company's costs for basic intraLATA telephone service to any points within a LATA which exceed 110 percent of the average cost of providing comparable basic intraLATA telephone service throughout the United States. Provides that, notwithstanding the above provisions, any company which qualifies for payments and whose costs for basic intraLATA telephone service to any points exceed 250 percent of the average cost of providing comparable basic intraLATA telephone service throughout the United States shall be entitled to receive 100 percent of its reasonably incurred universal service costs over 250 percent of the national average. Defines: (1) "basic telephone service" as residential service; (2) "basic intraLATA telephone service" as that portion of basic telephone service provided within a local access and transport area, including access to such service; and (3) "exchange company" as a company that offers basic telephone service and other services within one or more service areas recognized by any State regulatory commission. Authorizes the Commission to assert jurisdiction over all nontraffic sensitive subscriber loop costs to a Federal jurisdiction, in order to achieve consistency and uniformity of policy in regard to interstate and intrastate access charges. Authorizes the Commission to delegate to a State commission some or all of the Commission's authority with respect to: (1) intrastate interLATA toll service; and (2) access charges for the interconnection of exchange communications service with interstate or intrastate interLATA toll service upon a finding that such delegation would promote the purposes of this Act. Directs the Universal Telephone Service Joint Board to establish guidelines binding a State commission in the exercise of any delegated authority. Directs the Commission to establish the Universal Telephone Service Joint Board which shall be composed of five commissioners of the Commission and four commissioners nominated by the national organization of State commissions. Directs the Commission to adopt as final any decisions of the Board. Establishes a fine applicable to anyone who, with the intent to deprive any exchange company of any revenue in connection with access charges, transmits telecommunications so as to avoid accessing a local exchange in order to avoid such charges. Directs the Commission and each State regulatory authority to take action to ensure access to basic telephone lifeline service.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 21 July 1983

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 21 July 1983

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 28 July 1983

   Committee

   Committee on Commerce. Hearings held.

   Source: Committee

4. 29 July 1983

   Committee

   Committee on Commerce. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 98-253.

   Source: Committee

5. 20 September 1983

   Committee

   Committee on Commerce. Committee consideration and Mark Up Session held.

   Source: Committee

6. 27 September 1983

   Committee

   Committee on Commerce. Committee consideration and Mark Up Session held.

   Source: Committee

7. 30 September 1983

   Reported

   Committee on Commerce. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

   Source: Committee

8. 7 October 1983

   Calendars

   Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 467.

   Source: Calendars

9. 7 October 1983

   Reported

   Committee on Commerce. Reported to Senate by Senator Packwood with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 98-270. Minority views filed.

   Source: Committee

10. 7 October 1983

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce. Reported to Senate by Senator Packwood with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 98-270. Minority views filed.

    Source: Committee

11. 21 October 1983

    Floor

    Star Print ordered report 98-270.

    Source: Floor

12. 23 January 1984

    Floor

    Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.

    Source: Floor

13. 24 January 1984

    Floor

    Motion to proceed to the consideration of S.1660 considered in Senate.

    Source: Floor

14. 25 January 1984

    Floor

    Motion to proceed to the consideration of the bill considered in the Senate.

    Source: Floor

15. 26 January 1984

    Floor

    Motion to proceed to consideration of the bill considered in the Senate.

    Source: Floor

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 7 October 1983

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 21 July 1983

  Open at official source

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Sponsors

• Sen. Packwood, Bob [R-OR] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Goldwater, Barry [R-AZ] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Danforth, John C. [R-MO] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Kassebaum, Nancy Landon [R-KS] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Pressler, Larry [R-SD] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Trible, Paul S., Jr. [R-VA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Abdnor, James [R-SD] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Andrews, Mark [R-ND] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Boschwitz, Rudy [R-MN] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Chafee, John H. [R-RI] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Cohen, William S. [R-ME] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Denton, Jeremiah [R-AL] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Dole, Robert J. [R-KS] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Domenici, Pete V. [R-NM] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Durenberger, Dave [R-MN] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Hatfield, Mark O. [R-OR] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Hecht, Chic [R-NV] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Heinz, John [R-PA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Jepsen, Roger W. [R-IA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Laxalt, Paul D. [R-NV] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. McClure, James A. [R-ID] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Roth Jr., William V. [R-DE] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Simpson, Alan K. [R-WY] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Stafford, Robert T. [R-VT] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Wallop, Malcolm [R-WY] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Warner, John [R-VA] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Tower, John G. [R-TX] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Pell, Claiborne [D-RI] · D · Cosponsor
• · sscm00 · Standing

Related records

• amends ← To improve the eligibility requirements for the Universal Telephone Service Fund.
• amends ← To direct the Joint Board on the cost of debt in relation to the calculation of the company's high costs.
• amends ← Regarding imposition of charges on entities providing not-for-profit bibliographic services and for other purposes.
• amends ← To continue support for reasonable long-distance telephone rates nationwide.
• amends ← To improve the eligibility requirements for the Universal Telephone Service Fund.
• amends ← To direct the Joint Board on the cost of debt in relation to the calculation of the company's high costs.
• amends ← Regarding the imposition of charges on entities providing not-for-profit bibliographic services and other purposes.
• amends ← To continue support for reasonable long-distance telephone rates nationwide.