HBA-MPM H.B. 2084 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2084
By: Counts
Business & Industry
4/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Texas Statewide Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (TSTCI) is a statewide
organization of cooperatives and small independent telephone companies that
serve the state's vast rural and agricultural areas that the larger
telephone companies did not wire because the population was too sparse and
the locations too remote. Many TSTCI member companies are owned by
individuals or families residing in their areas of service, while
cooperatives are owned by the cooperatives' customers.  All member
companies are regulated by the Public Utility Commission.  Current law
regarding unclaimed property provides for local telephone companies to
transfer unclaimed money that would normally be routed to the state into a
fund to be used for local scholarships. Currently, local telephone exchange
companies may transfer only $400,000 into a scholarship fund for rural
students.  House Bill 2084 increases the cap of the total amount that a
local telephone exchange company may route into a scholarship fund for
rural students to $1 million. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2084 amends the Property Code to increase from $400,000 to $1
million the total amount of money that all local telephone exchange
companies may transfer to the comptroller of public accounts for the
purpose of delivering money to a scholarship fund for rural students.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.