SF 2195 – IUB telecommunications regulation clean- up
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 2195 is one of two recommendations by the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) as a result of its extensive public Notice of Inquiry (NOI) over the past year to review and update telecommunications statutes and regulations. The public, the Consumer Advocate and industry stakeholders had many opportunities to discuss and give written comments on the draft proposal, and to participate in a one-day workshop on the topic. SF 2195 contains the substantive recommended policy changes that resulted from the NOI and modifications made by the Senate Commerce Committee. Those include setting an explicit six-month transition period for de-tariffing so that companies have time to complete the transition in a reasonable and orderly manner, and requiring retail telecommunications providers to give notice of rate increases to customers. These providers have been rate deregulated the past six years with no requirement regarding customer notification, and the IUB has received no customer complaints on this issue since in that time. However, the IUB and industry stakeholders agree that providing notice is important and codifying it makes sense. This also addresses the municipal utilities’ concern that they are already required to give notice through their public processes.
Earlier in the session, the Senate unanimously approved SF 2132, the non-substantive technical update to IUB telecommunications regulations, but it was funneled by the House. The House amendment to SF 2195 adds the language in SF 2132. It includes removing obsolete telecommunications statutes now in Iowa Code (e.g., a report that was delivered to the Legislature in 2005; 1995 rule-making provisions that have long been completed; and filing requirements for local exchange carriers enacted in 1995 then superseded by federal law in 1996). The House passed the amended version on a 98-0 vote. [4/15: The Senate concurred with the House-amended bill, 50-0]