This section requires state agencies and telephone providers to support lifeline service, including automatic enrollment, consumer notices, and certain service protections.
Sec. 55.015. LIFELINE SERVICE. (a) The commission shall adopt rules prohibiting a certificated provider of local exchange telephone service from discontinuing basic network services listed in Section 58.051 to a consumer who receives lifeline service because of nonpayment by the consumer of charges for other services billed by the provider, including interexchange telecommunications service. (b) The commission shall adopt rules providing for automatic enrollment to receive lifeline service for eligible consumers. The Health and Human Services Commission, on request of the commission, shall assist in the adoption and implementation of those rules. The commission and the Health and Human Services Commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding establishing the respective duties of those agencies in relation to the automatic enrollment. (b-1) The commission shall adopt rules requiring certificated providers of local exchange telephone service to implement procedures to ensure that all consumers are clearly informed both orally and in writing of the existence of the lifeline service program when they request or initiate service or change service locations or providers. On or before June 1, 2006, the commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Health and Human Services Commission, and, to the maximum extent feasible, housing authorities in the principal cities of each metropolitan statistical area, to improve enrollment rates in the lifeline service program. (c) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone service may block a lifeline service participant's access to all interexchange telecommunications service except toll-free numbers when the participant owes an outstanding amount for that service. The provider shall remove the block without additional cost to the participant on payment of the outstanding amount. (d) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone service shall offer a consumer who applies for or receives lifeline service the option of blocking all toll calls or, if technically capable, placing a limit on the amount of toll calls. The provider may not charge the consumer an administrative charge or other additional amount for the blocking service. (d-1) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone service shall provide access to lifeline service to a customer whose income is not more than 150 percent of the applicable income level established by the federal poverty guidelines or in whose household resides a person who receives or has a child who receives: (1) Medicaid; (2) food stamps; (3) Supplemental Security Income; (4) federal public housing assistance; (5) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assistance; or (6) health benefits coverage under the state child health plan under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code. (d-2) A certificated provider of local exchange telephone service shall provide consumers who apply for or receive lifeline service access to available vertical services or custom calling features, including caller ID, call waiting, and call blocking, at the same price as other consumers. Lifeline discounts shall only apply to that portion of the bill that is for basic network service. (e) In this section, "lifeline service" means a retail local service offering described by 47 C.F.R. Section 54.401(a), as amended. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 21, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 2 (S.B. 5), Sec. 9, eff. September 7, 2005. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 48 (S.B. 1976), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017.