HOUSE BILL No. 4376


     March 4, 1999, Introduced by Reps. Vear, Ehardt, Bradstreet, Mortimer, Kowall, Toy, Kuipers and Rocca and referred to the Committee on Energy and Technology.


        A bill to amend 1991 PA 179, entitled

   "Michigan telecommunications act,"

   by amending section 310 (MCL 484.2310), as amended by 1995 PA

   216.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         Sec. 310.  (1) Except as OTHERWISE provided by this act, the

 2    commission shall  not  review  or set the  AND IF NECESSARY SET

 3    COMPETITIVE rates for toll access services.

 4         (2) A provider of toll access services shall set the rates

 5    for toll access services.  Access service rates and charges set

 6    by a provider that exceed the rates allowed for the same inter-

 7    state services by the federal government are not just and

 8    reasonable.  Providers may agree to a rate that is less than the

 9    rate allowed by the federal government.  If the providers cannot




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 1    agree on a rate, a provider may apply to the commission under

 2    section 204.

 3         (3)  Two  WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSION, 2 or more

 4    providers that each have less than 250,000 access lines may agree

 5    to joint toll access service rates and pooling of intrastate toll

 6    access service revenues.

 7         (4) A provider of toll access services shall make available

 8    for intrastate access services any technical interconnection

 9    arrangements, including colocation required by the federal gov-

10    ernment for the identical interstate access services.

11         (5) A provider of toll access service, whether under tariff

12    or contract, shall offer the services under the same rates, terms

13    and conditions, without unreasonable discrimination, to all

14    providers.  All pricing of special toll access services and

15    switched access services, including volume discounts, shall be

16    offered to all providers under the same rates, terms, and

17    conditions.  Until allowed by the federal communications commis-

18    sion, volume discounts on switched access are prohibited under

19    this subsection.

20         (6) If a toll access service rate is reduced under section

21    304a, then the provider receiving the reduced rate shall reduce

22    its rate to its customers by an equal amount.













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