An Act to Designate Pay Phone Locations in the Public Interest 1".t1 J1
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1101
Committee Amendment CA_A_H199 (House)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §7104, 35-A MRSA §7508

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "!},, to H.P. 754, L.D. 1101, Bill, "An 
Act To Designate Pay Phone Locations in the Public Interest" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §7104, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. 
Public-interest pay phone su,pport. 
The commission may 
reguire 
contributions 
to 
a 
state 
universal 
service 
fund 
established pursuant to this section in an amount sufficient to 
collect up to $50.000 each year to 
fund public-interest pay 
phones pursuant to section 7508. 
The commission shall maintain 
an accounting of all funds contributed to the state universal 
service fund pursuant to this subsection and all funds expended 
pursuant 
to 
section 
7508. 
Funds 
contributed 
to 
the 
state 
universal 
service 
fund 
pursuant 
to 
this 
subsection 
may 
be 
expended only for the purposes of section 7508. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §7508 is enacted to read: 
§7508. 
Public-interest pay phones 
1. Public-interest pay phone locations. In order to ensure 
access to pay phones in a manner that fulfills the reg;uirements 
of the public health. safety and welfare. the commission shall 
establish by rule a process for reviewing and approving reg;uests 
for public-interest pay phones in accordance with this section. 
A. 
The 
commission 
shall establish procedures 
by 
which 
citizens may petition to have a public-interest pay phone at 
a particular location. 
Page l-LR0304(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~c. 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT '11" to H.P. 754, L.D. 1101 
B. 
Consistent with the following general criteria. 
the 
commission shall establish procedures 
and 
standards 
for 
responding to a petition for a public interest pay phone. 
(1) 
A proposed public-interest pay phone must fulfill 
a public welfare, health or safety policy objective. 
( 2) 
A pay phone would not otherwise remain or be 
placed at a proposed public-interest pay phone location 
by the operation of the competitive marketplace. 
C. 
A public-interest pay phone may not be removed from 
service unless its owner provides written notice to the 
commission 
days 
prior 
to 
removal, 
except 
that 
the 
commission, pursuant to rules adopted under this section, 
may grant a waiver of this requirement. 
2. hcoveD' of costs. The costs associated with installing 
and maintaining public-interest pay phones 
pursuant to this 
section must be paid from funds available pursuant to section 
7104, subsection 6. 
3. Rules. The commission shall adopt rules that are routine 
technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A 
to implement this section. 
4. 
Report. 
Annually prior to February 1st, the commission 
shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters 
detailing activities undertaken pursuant to this section. 
The 
report must include information on the number of petitions for 
public-interest pay 
phones 
the 
commission has 
received, 
the 
number of such pay phones the commission has approved and the 
amount of available funds expended. 
Sec. 3. Authority to report out legislation. 
The joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities 
and energy matters 
may 
report out legislation to the First 
Regular 
Session 
of 
the 
123rd 
Legislature 
concerning 
public-interest pay phones. ' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. 
The amendment directs the 
Public Utilities Commission to establish by rule a process for 
providing for public-interest pay phones. 
The 
commission is 
directed to establish procedures for citizens to petition for 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. It .. to H.P. 754, L.D. 1101 
public-interest pay 
phones 
and 
standards 
for 
reviewing 
such 
peti tions. 
A proposed public-interest pay phone must fulfill a 
public health, 
safety or welfare policy objective, 
and 
the 
commission must find that a pay phone would not otherwise remain 
or be placed at a proposed public-interest pay phone location by 
the operation of the competitive marketplace. 
Funding for these 
pay phones is limited to $50,000 per year. 
Funding is through 
required 
contributions 
by 
providers 
of 
intrastate 
telecommunications services to a state universal service fund. 
The 
Public Utilities 
Commission is 
required to 
provide 
annual reports to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction 
over 
utilities 
and 
energy 
matters 
on 
public-interest pay phones, and the committee is authorized to 
report out legislation to the First Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 04/10/05 ~ae 
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LD 1101 
LR0304(02) 
An Act to Designate Pay Phone Locations in the Public Interest 
1".t1 J1 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''7 . 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor .cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Costs associated with adopting rules can be absorbed by the Public Utilities Commission utilizing existing budgeted 
resources. 
LR0304(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1