2001 Legislation
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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7 – Telecommunications, study

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7

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Daily Data Tracking History



HCR007....................................................by WAYS AND MEANS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS - STUDY - Stating findings of the Legislature and
authorizing the Legislative Council to appoint a committee to undertake and
complete a study of issues surrounding regulation of the telecommunications
industry to include, but not be limited to, encouraging statewide
development of wideband fiber optics, strengthening communications in rural
Idaho and promoting e-commerce and Internet technology.
                                                                        
01/26    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/29    Rpt prt - to St Aff
02/19    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/20    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/22    3rd rdg - ADOPTED - 54-0-16
      AYES -- Barrett, Black, Bolz, Bradford, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell,
      Chase, Clark, Collins, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Ellis, Ellsworth,
      Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Hadley, Harwood, Henbest, Higgins,
      Hornbeck, Kellogg, Kendell, Kunz, Lake, Langford, Loertscher, Mader,
      Marley, McKague, Meyer, Mortensen, Moss, Moyle, Pearce, Pischner,
      Pomeroy, Raybould, Roberts, Sali, Sellman, Shepherd, Smith, Smylie,
      Stevenson, Stone, Tilman, Trail, Wheeler, Wood, Young
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Barraclough, Bedke, Bell, Bieter, Boe,
      Eskridge, Gould, Hammond, Jaquet, Jones, Montgomery, Ridinger,
      Robison, Schaefer, Swan, Mr. Speaker
    Floor Sponsor -- Deal
    Title apvd - to Senate
02/23    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to St Aff

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2001
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7
                                                                        
                                BY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                               A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
  2    STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND AUTHORIZING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO
  3        APPOINT A COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE AND COMPLETE A STUDY OF ISSUES  SURROUND-
  4        ING REGULATION OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.
                                                                        
  5    Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  6        WHEREAS,  as a result of changes in technology and law, telecommunications
  7    markets are evolving from a monopoly environment toward a competitive environ-
  8    ment; and
  9        WHEREAS, the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to reduce
 10    the level of regulation and remove barriers to competition in all telecommuni-
 11    cations markets so that consumers could benefit  from  greater  choice,  lower
 12    prices  and  more  rapid deployment of new technologies and advanced services;
 13    and
 14        WHEREAS, the idea was that consumers  would  benefit  if  territorial  and
 15    line-of-business  restrictions  and incumbent local exchange companies (ILECs)
 16    were allowed to offer local service outside their  traditional  boundaries  as
 17    well  as  inter-exchange  and  cable  television services, if cable television
 18    providers were allowed to offer telephone service and if inter-exchange compa-
 19    nies (IXCs) were allowed to offer local service; and further, more competition
 20    was expected from wireless providers, and former competitive access  providers
 21    were  expected  to transform themselves into competitive local exchange compa-
 22    nies (CLECs) and offer a variety of services; and
 23        WHEREAS, removing legal and administrative  barriers  to  entry,  however,
 24    doesn't  necessarily make markets competitive, and while competition is emerg-
 25    ing in local access markets, it is far from being fully developed,  especially
 26    for residential customers; and
 27        WHEREAS,  relatively  few  households have a legitimate alternative to the
 28    ILEC for local access while competition in the intra-LATA toll market is grow-
 29    ing and equal access rules that require  customers  be  allowed  to  designate
 30    someone other than their ILEC as the primary inter-LATA carriers probably will
 31    enhance the level of competition in those markets; and
 32        WHEREAS,  while there is competition in inter-LATA toll markets, the level
 33    of competition in those markets should increase considerably once the business
 34    operating companies (BOCs) are able to offer that service; and while  competi-
 35    tion  in  most local and intra-LATA markets is in its early stages of develop-
 36    ment, the ILECs still serve the vast majority of access lines,  their  network
 37    facilities  and services serve as linchpins and entrants must obtain a variety
 38    of services from them; and
 39        WHEREAS, state public utilities commissions have a crucial and  indispens-
 40    able  role in managing and facilitating the transition toward competition. The
 41    role and function of public utilities commissions are undergoing a  transition
 42    from  retail state regulation, whether the traditional rate-of-return or cost-
 43    of-service regulations or incentive and/or price-cap regulation, towards  mar-
 44    ket  regulations, with commissions taking on a referee function which includes
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    setting rules of the game, imposing penalties and protecting consumers; and
  2        WHEREAS, the Public Utilities Commission's role in this  matter  is  espe-
  3    cially  important  in telecommunications because the ILECs networks are likely
  4    to serve as linchpin networks as we evolve toward the intermeshed networks  or
  5    "networks  of networks" model and entrants into the market are in the position
  6    of purchasing services from and interconnecting with  established  ILECs  with
  7    whom they must compete for retail customers' business; and
  8        WHEREAS,  the  regulation of the telecommunications industry is one of the
  9    most important public policy issues facing a  state  with  diverse  urban  and
 10    rural populations like Idaho's.
 11        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
 12    of  the  Fifty-sixth  Idaho  Legislature, the House of Representatives and the
 13    Senate concurring therein, that  the  Legislative  Council  is  authorized  to
 14    appoint  a  committee  to undertake and complete a study of issues surrounding
 15    the regulation of the telecommunications industry to include, but not be  lim-
 16    ited to, encouraging statewide development of wideband, fiberoptics, strength-
 17    ening  communications  in  rural  Idaho  and promoting e-commerce and Internet
 18    technology. The Legislative Council shall determine the number of  legislators
 19    and  membership from each house appointed to the committee and shall authorize
 20    the committee to receive input, advice  and  assistance  from  interested  and
 21    affected parties who are not members of the legislature.
 22        BE  IT  FURTHER RESOLVED that nonlegislative advisors of the committee may
 23    be appointed by the cochairs of the committee who are appointed by the  Legis-
 24    lative  Council. Nonlegislative advisors shall not be reimbursed from legisla-
 25    tive funds for per diem, mileage or other expenses and shall not  have  voting
 26    privileges, regarding the committee's recommendations or proposed legislation.
 27        BE  IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall report its findings, rec-
 28    ommendations and proposed legislation, if any, to the Second  Regular  Session
 29    of the Fifty-sixth Idaho Legislature.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                           RS 10449C1
The purpose of this legislation is to allow the Legislative
Council to appoint a committee to study the subject of the
regulation of the telecommunications industry.  In 1996 Congress
passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which was intended to
reduce the level of regulation and remove barriers to competition
in all telecommunications markets so that consumers could benefit
from greater choice, lower prices and more rapid deployment of
new technologies and advanced services.  Given Idaho's diverse
rural and urban population, the regulation of the
telecommunications industry is one of the most important public
policy issues facing the state in the 21st century.
                          FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of the meeting for the Committee would be expected not
to exceed $10,000.  Moneys would be paid from the Legislative
Account.


Contact
Name: Representative Bill Deal 
Phone: 332-1000



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                  HCR 7