§ 23-17-301. Title

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Universal Telephone Service Act”.

§ 23-17-302. Legislative findings and declarations

The General Assembly finds and declares that changes in pricing for telephone services mandated by the Federal Communications Commission and made necessary by the divestiture of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company from American Telephone and Telegraph Company will cause significant increases in the cost of local exchange telephone service which could force some local exchange telephone […]

§ 23-17-303. Definitions

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Commission” means the Arkansas Public Service Commission; (2) “Interexchange carriers” includes persons, corporations, or other organizations which provide communications services which interconnect with local exchanges under provisions of the interstate and intrastate access charges tariffs and may include such other persons, corporations, or organizations […]

§ 23-17-304. Universal Telephone Service Fund created — Contents

(a) There is created the Universal Telephone Service Fund to be established by assessing upon all interexchange carriers operating in this state a charge on interexchange communication services based on usage, revenue, volume, or other appropriate factors. (b) (1) The amount of the charge shall be determined by the Arkansas Public Service Commission after notice […]

§ 23-17-305. Conditional effective date

The Universal Telephone Service Fund shall be effective on the date the interstate Universal Service Fund or similar arrangement is established by the Federal Communications Commission unless the Arkansas Public Service Commission, prior to that date and after hearing, finds that the circumstances upon which this subchapter is predicated have so substantially changed as to […]

§ 23-17-306. Allocation of fund

(a) The Arkansas Public Service Commission shall allocate the Universal Telephone Service Fund among all local exchange carriers operating in Arkansas in such a manner as to moderate the disruptive effects of changes in methods of pricing of telephone services and to hold prices of local exchange telephone service to levels which will ensure, insofar […]

§ 23-17-307. Administration of fund

The Arkansas Public Service Commission may collect, administer, and distribute the Universal Telephone Service Fund, itself, or it may delegate to a trustee or other agent acting under its supervision the administration and distribution of the fund upon such conditions and security as the commission may require.