HB 242 Modifies provisions relating to telecommunication

     Handler: Burlison

Current Bill Summary

- Prepared by Senate Research -


SCS/HCS/HB 242 - This act modifies provisions relating to telecommunications.

TAXES, LICENSES, AND FEES ON CERTAIN SERVICES (Section 67.2680):

Under the act, the state or any other political subdivision shall not impose any new tax, license, or fee in addition to any tax, license, or fee already authorized on or before August 28, 2021, upon the provision of satellite or streaming video service.

This provision is identical to a provision contained in the truly agreed CCS/SS#2/SCS/HCS/HB 271 (2021), a provision contained in the truly agreed CCS/HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 153 & 97 (2021), a provision contained in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 27 (2021), and a provision contained in SCS/HB 554 (2021).

CALL SPOOFING (Sections 407.1095-407.1104):

This act adds call spoofing, as defined in the act, as a method of telephone solicitation prohibited under provisions of law relating to the telemarketing no-call list.

The act also establishes the "Caller ID Anti-Spoofing Act", which creates the offense of caller identification spoofing. A person commits such offense if he or she enters or causes to be entered, false information into a caller ID service with the intent to deceive, defraud, or mislead the recipient of the call, or the person places a call knowing that false information was entered into a caller ID service with the intent to deceive, defraud, or mislead the recipient of the call. The offense is a Class E felony.

Call recipients may bring action as members of a class, and the Attorney General may initiate legal proceedings or intervene in legal proceedings on behalf of call recipients.

These provisions are identical to provisions contained in HCS/SCS/SB 119 (2021), and similar to HCS/HB 2116 (2020), SB 664 (2020), HB 2175 (2020), and SCS/SB 144 (2019).

BROADBAND INTERNET GRANT PROGRAM (Sections 620.2456 & 620.2460):

This act provides that the Department of Economic Development shall not award any grant funding when funds have already been awarded by the Connect America Fund and the Rural Digital Opportunity Funds.

Further, the act provides that federal funds received by the state or political subdivision through the American Recovery Plan or other federal COVID-19 Relief legislation appropriated specifically for the construction of broadband internet infrastructure shall be in or otherwise serve an "unserved area" or "underserved area" and the project will provide broadband internet service to customers at certain speeds as provided in the act. The Office of Broadband Infrastructure shall certify the project prior to a political subdivision receiving authorization. Prior to certifying a project, the Office of Broadband Infrastructure shall notify each internet service provider in the area of the project and such internet service provider may submit a challenge to the proposal as provided in the act.

These provisions are similar to provisions contained in HCS/SCS/SB 119 (2021).

JAMIE ANDREWS


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