[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 200 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 200

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
   Government should not withhold universal service support payments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 1997

 Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Markey, and Ms. Lofgren) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
   Government should not withhold universal service support payments.

    Resolved, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The House of Representatives finds the following:
            (1) Congress reaffirmed the importance of universal service 
        support for telecommunications services by passing the 
        Telecommunications Act of 1996.
            (2) The Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the Federal 
        Communications Commission to preserve and advance universal 
        service based on the following principles:
                    (A) Quality services should be available at just, 
                reasonable, and affordable rates.
                    (B) Access to advanced telecommunications and 
                information services should be provided in all regions 
                of the Nation.
                    (C) Consumers in all regions of the Nation, 
                including low-income consumers and those in rural, 
                insular, and high-cost areas, should have access to 
                telecommunications and information services, including 
                interexchange services and advanced telecommunications 
                and information services, that are reasonable 
                comparable to those services provided in urban areas 
                and that are available at rates that are reasonably 
                comparable to rates charged for similar services.
                    (D) All providers of telecommunications services 
                should make an equitable and nondiscriminatory 
                contribution to the preservation and advancement of 
                universal service.
                    (E) There should be specific, predictable, and 
                sufficient Federal and State mechanisms to preserve and 
                advance universal service.
                    (F) Elementary and secondary schools and 
                classrooms, health care providers, and libraries should 
                have access to advanced telecommunications services.
            (3) Federal and State universal conditions are administered 
        by an independent, non-Federal entity and are not deposited 
        into the Federal Treasury and therefore not available for 
        Federal appropriations.
            (4) The committee of conference on H.R. 2015, the budget 
        reconciliation bill, is considering proposals that would 
        withhold Federal and State universal service funds in the year 
        2002.
            (5) The withholding of billions of dollars of universal 
        service support payments will mean significant rate increases 
        in rural and high-cost areas and will deny qualifying schools, 
        libraries, and rural health facilities discounts directed under 
        the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the committee 
of conference on the bill H.R. 2015 should not manipulate, modify, or 
impair universal service support as a means to achieve a balanced 
Federal budget or achieve Federal budget savings.
                                 <all>