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S1510......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Adds to existing law relating to telecommunications to provide for reservation of video service regulation to the state; and to define a term. 03/18 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 03/19 Rpt prt - to St Aff
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-ninth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2008IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1510 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 6, TITLE 62, IDAHO CODE, BY 3 THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 62-618A, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR RESERVA- 4 TION OF VIDEO SERVICE REGULATION TO THE STATE AND TO DEFINE A TERM. 5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 SECTION 1. That Chapter 6, Title 62, Idaho Code, be, and the same is 7 hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des- 8 ignated as Section 62-618A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows: 9 62-618A. RESERVATION OF VIDEO SERVICE REGULATION TO STATE -- DEFINITION. 10 (1) The delivery of video service over the telecommunications network of a 11 telephone corporation that is subject to the provisions of title 61 or 62, 12 Idaho Code, shall not be subject to any economic, franchise or licensing regu- 13 lation by a city, county, special use district or any other local governmental 14 entity of any kind, and such regulation is hereby reserved to the state of 15 Idaho, to the extent such regulation is deemed to be necessary and is not pre- 16 empted by federal law. 17 (2) As used in this section, "video service" means the delivery of video 18 programming services and content to a viewer without regard to the delivery 19 technology.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS18115 This legislation is proposed for the purpose of clarifying existing telecommunications law to acknowledge the potential and present uses of the telecommunications network in Idaho with reference to the provision of video services within the state. The legislation provides that use of a telephone company telecommunications system to provide video services within the state shall not be subject to economic, franchise or licensing regulation by cities or counties, but to the extent such regulation is deemed necessary and is not preempted by federal law, such regulation may be adopted at the state level. New technologies are currently being used in some areas of the state to make the provision of video services available to telephone company customers, using the telecommunications network infrastructure. But, clarification of the status of the provision of such service, using the telecommunications network, is needed to allow such service to become a reality throughout the entire state. Voice over internet protocol (VOIP), has enabled the cable industry to make telephone service available over the cable network without additional burdens on the public rights-of-way and without local or state regulation of the VOIP service. Now, the traditional telephone industry has the potential to, and in some areas of the state is, using its telephony network infrastructure to deliver television services to its customers. As with the cable industry and its' VOIP service, use of the telecommunications network for the provision of video service does not create additional burdens on the local rights-of-way. However, it is time to acknowledge and confirm that Idaho telephone companies now offering video services via their telecommunications network may continue to do so, and to encourage other telephone companies to make the investment necessary to upgrade their telecommunications networks to enable the offering of video services. The result of this legislation will be the expansion of a competitive video service market place and increased consumer choice. FISCAL NOTE There is no negative fiscal impact on state funds Contact Name: Senator Mike Jorgenson Phone: 332-1384 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE S 1510