Sec. 772.002. INFORMATION RELATING TO COLLECTION AND REMITTANCE OF 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICE FEE

(a) This section applies only to a district created under this chapter that collects a 9-1-1 emergency service fee from a service supplier or business service user. This section does not apply to an incumbent local exchange company as defined in Section 51.002, Utilities Code.

(b) The board of managers of a district by order may require a service supplier or business service user to provide to the district any information the board requires so long as that information and the format requested are readily available for the service provider's records to determine whether the service provider or business service user is correctly billing and collecting the 9-1-1 emergency service fee and remitting the fee to the district. The information required from a service provider under this subsection may include:

(1) the number of local exchange access lines that the service provider has in the district; and

(2) the number of those local exchange access lines that the Commission on State Emergency Communications excluded from the definition of a local exchange access line or an equivalent local exchange access line under Section 771.063.

(c) The district shall maintain the confidentiality of information provided under this section that a service provider or business service user claims is confidential for competitive purposes. The confidential information is exempt from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.

(d) The district may bring suit to enforce this section or to collect fees billed and collected by a service provider or business service user but not remitted to the district. In a proceeding to collect unremitted fees, a sworn affidavit of the district specifying the amount of unremitted fees is prima facie evidence that the fees were not remitted and of the amount of the unremitted fees.

(e) The Public Utility Commission of Texas may impose an administrative penalty under Subchapter B, Chapter 15, Utilities Code, against a service provider who is a person regulated under the Utilities Code if the person:

(1) does not provide information required by a district under this section; or

(2) bills and collects a 9-1-1 emergency service fee as required by this chapter but does not remit the fee to the appropriate district.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 952 , Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.