PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION Recalculation of the Pennsylvania Telecommunications Relay Service Surcharge; M-00900239 F0010 [36 Pa.B. 2887]
[Saturday, June 10, 2006]Public Meeting held
May 19, 2006Commissioners Present: Wendell F. Holland, Chairperson; James H. Cawley, Vice Chairperson; Bill Shane; Kim Pizzingrilli; Terrance J. Fitzpatrick
Order By the Commission:
In accordance with our May 29, 1990 Order at Docket No. M-00900239, which established the Pennsylvania Telephone Relay Service (Relay) and a surcharge funding mechanism (TRS surcharge); and with Act 34 of 1995, 35 P. S. §§ 6701.1, et seq.,1 which established the Telephone Device Distribution Program (TDDP) to be funded by the TRS surcharge and which codified Relay and use of the TRS surcharge funding mechanism; and with Act 174 of 2004, 35 P. S. § 6701.3a, which established the Print Media Access System Program (PMASP) to be funded in part by the TRS surcharge,2 we have completed the 16th annual recalculation of the TRS surcharge as it applies to residence and business wireline access lines for July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007.
As part of their continuing obligations under the TRS surcharge recalculation process, the local exchange carriers (LECs)3 have submitted their wireline access line counts. The total number of wireline access lines, adjusted for Centrex lines, is 7,485,756, which includes 5,031,478 residence wireline access lines and 2,454,278 business wireline access lines. The Relay Provider, AT&T Communications of Pennsylvania, LLC, has submitted the estimated minutes of use and charges for July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007. U.S. Bank,4 the Fund Administrator, has provided a statement of the financial status of the Fund.5 The executive director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) in the Department of Labor and Industry has submitted the 2006-2007 TDDP budget and the 2006-2007 PMASP budget. Additionally, the surcharge will fund the final five months of the December 2005--November 2006 Relay consumer education outreach program,6 Captioned Telephone Voice-Carry-Over Relay Service (CTVRS), TRS Advisory Board activities, and Fund administration costs.
Based upon the number of wireline access lines; the cost of the consumer education outreach campaign; the estimated cost of the CTVRS; the projected costs of Relay, TDDP, and PMASP, anticipated TRS Advisory Board expenses and TRS Fund administration costs, coupled with the financial status of the TRS Fund,7 we shall set the 2006-2007 residential and business monthly wireline access line surcharge at $0.08 and $0.09, respectively.8 Effective July 1, 2006, the monthly surcharge shall be allocated as follows:9
2006-2007 Monthly Surcharge
Residence Business Relay $0.08 $0.09 TDDP $0.00 $0.00 PMASP $0.00 $0.00 Total Surcharge $0.08 $0.09 All TRS surcharge revenues shall continue to be remitted to the Fund Administrator.10
We shall continue our active oversight of the operations of the Pennsylvania Relay and continue to collaborate with OVR and its TDDP administrator (Hiram G. Andrews Center, Johnstown, PA) to ensure adequate funding for distribution of TDDP equipment to low-income households in accordance with 35 P. S. §§ 6791.3 and 4. We shall also work with OVR to ensure adequate funding for PMASP in accordance with 35 P. S. §§ 6791.3a and 4.
Additionally, it should be noted that the Commission is currently auditing the TDDP for fiscal year ended June 30, 2005. The scope of the audit concentrated on examining the underlying costs associated with TDDP during the audit period. Also, reviewed was the certification of the eligibility of individuals applying for TDDP participation and the distribution of TDDP equipment and devices to TDDP participants. Based on this audit, the Commission is generally satisfied that ratepayer funds were appropriately used for the TDDP during the audit period; Therefore,
It Is Ordered That:
1. For the period of July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, the residence surcharge per wireline access line per month shall be $0.08 and the business surcharge per wireline access line per month shall be $0.09, unless we take further action to revise the TRS surcharge prior to June 30, 2007.
2. All incumbent local exchange carriers and competitive local exchange carriers are directed to use the attached form to remit the monthly TRS surcharge collections to U.S. Bank, Institutional Custody.
3. All incumbent local exchange carriers and competitive local exchange carriers are directed to file revised tariff supplements to become effective July 1, 2006, on at least one day's notice, which reflect the residence and business surcharges in accordance with Ordering Paragraph No. 1, above.
4. The Relay Provider, AT&T Communications LLC, is directed to work with the Bureau of Audits in conjunction with on-going audit activities.
5. A copy of this Order be served upon all incumbent local exchange carriers and competitive local exchange carriers, AT&T Communications Company of Pennsylvania, LLC, U.S. Bank Institutional Custody, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Department of Labor and Industry, the Office of Consumer Advocate, the Office of Small Business Advocate, and the Pennsylvania Telephone Association.
6. A copy of this Order be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
7. A copy of this Order be posted to the Commission's website.
JAMES J. MCNULTY,
SecretaryREMITTANCE FORM FOR MONTHLY TRS SURCHARGE COLLECTIONS
2006-2007Effective July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007
M-00900239F0010All local service providers are required to collect and remit the TRS surcharge revenue monthly, by the 20th of each month, to U.S. Bank Institutional Custody, ATTN: Sue Massey, PA-4945, 123 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19109. Please make your remittance checks payable to the Pennsylvania TRS Fund. It is advisable to use the following format for the monthly remittance:
Pennsylvania TRS Surcharge For the Month Ending __________
Number of Residential access lines (Relay) × $0.08 per line __________ Number of Residential access lines __________ (TDDP) × $0.00 per line __________ Number of Residential access lines __________ (PMASP) × $0.00 per line __________ Number of Business access lines (Relay) × $0.09 per line __________ Number of Business access lines __________ (TDDP) × $0.00 per line __________ Number of Business access lines __________ (PMASP) × $0.00 per line __________ Total Remittance __________
__________Make check payable to: Pennsylvania TRS Fund
Send Report and payment to: U.S. Bank Institutional Custody
Sue Massey,
PA-4945
123 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19109Remittance for: Company name(s)
Authorized Signature: ______ Date: ______
Please direct any questions regarding the TRS Surcharge remittance to Eric Jeschke at (717) 783-3850 or ejeschke@state.pa.us.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 06-1047. Filed for public inspection June 9, 2006, 9:00 a.m.] _______
1 The statutory provisions were also amended by Act 181 of 2002 to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities.
2 PMASP is a reading service for persons with certain vision and physical disabilities. The law is now called the ''Universal Telecommunications and Print Media Access Act.''
3 Including both incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). This total is further adjusted under a Centrex equivalency formula.
4 As a result of mergers, acquisitions, and name changes, Fund administration has been handled by Hamilton Bank, CoreStates Bank N.A. (1995), First Union National Bank (1999); Wachovia Bank, N.A. (2002), and U.S. Bank Institutional Custody (2006).
5 Separate accounts are maintained for the portion of the surcharge allocated to Relay, the portion allocated to TDDP, and the portion allocated to PMASP. Relay Advisory Board, CTVRS, and outreach activities draw from the Relay account; Fund administration draws from each respective account.
6 On June 3, 2003, AT&T was directed to submit an Implementation Plan of its proposal for consumer education outreach. On September 29, 2003, the Commission accepted the Implementation Plan. W.J. Green & Associates, Inc. started the outreach campaign in October, 2003. The two-year campaign, at a cost of $500,000 per year, runs through September 30, 2005. At that time, the results of the campaign were evaluated, and a determination to continue for another year was made. This third year began December 2005 and will end November 2006.
7 The TRS Fund currently has two accounts, one for Relay and one for TDDP. A third account is being created for PMASP. The initial funding of the PMASP account will be addressed by Secretarial Letter.
8 The annual expense is based on the estimated annual charges submitted by AT&T Relay, estimated annual TRS Advisory Board expenses, estimated annual compensation to the Fund Administrator, contracted cost of Relay outreach campaign, staff estimated annual charges for CTVRS use; and the estimated annual budget for the TDDP and PMASP submitted by OVR.
9 The TRS surcharge appears as a single line item on customers' bills but actually has three components (Relay, TDDP, and PMASP).
10 LECS shall remit surcharge revenues to U.S. Bank Institutional Custody, Attn: Sue Massey, 123 S. Broad St., PA-4945, Philadelphia, PA 19109, payable to the ''PA Relay Service Fund'' and designated for Relay.
