Illinois Administrative Code › Title 83 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 757 - TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › Subpart F - BIAS ASSISTANCE › Section 757.500 - BIAS Program Administration

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a)
				Notwithstanding any other provision of this Part, UTAC may develop a recommendation
				for UTAC to administer a program to provide assistance to eligible customers and/or
				eligible new customers of BIAS offered by BIAS providers that voluntarily
				participate in that program. If UTAC elects to develop such a recommendation, UTAC
				shall file with the Commission a petition requesting the Commission to approve the
				recommended program and determine the amount of assistance UTAC shall provide each
				eligible new subscriber or eligible subscriber under the program. The petition shall
				contain recommendations of the UTSAP Administrator as to the amount of the
				assistance. The Commission may enter an order adopting UTAC's recommendation without
				a hearing; however, a hearing shall be held if requested by a party or by Staff
				within 30 days after the date the petition is filed, and a hearing may also be held
				on the Commission's own motion.
b) On
				July 1 of each year thereafter, UTAC shall file with the Commission a petition
				requesting the Commission to redetermine the amount, if any, UTAC shall provide each
				eligible new subscriber or eligible subscriber under the programs set forth in this
				subsection (b). The petition shall contain recommendations of the UTSAP
				Administrator of the amount of that assistance. The Commission may enter an order
				without a hearing; however, a hearing shall be held if requested by a party or by
				Staff within 30 days after the date the petition is filed, and a hearing may also be
				held on the Commission's own motion. The Commission shall determine, subject to the
				availability of funds, the amount of supplemental assistance, if any, the providers
				shall provide each eligible new subscriber or eligible subscriber. The petition
				filed pursuant to this subsection (b) shall be filed together with the petition
				filed pursuant to Section
				757.200(b).
c) The Commission, on its own motion, or based
				upon a petition filed by the UTSAP Administrator, may order the suspension of
				payments or temporarily reduce the amount of the supplemental assistance provided
				under the programs set forth in this Section if the total program costs, in
				combination with the costs of any other programs administered by UTAC subject to
				this Part, exceed, or will exceed, the funds available from contributions specified
				in Section
				757.205. If the
				Commission suspends or reduces the amount of payments under this Section, the
				Commission shall determine, subject to the availability of funds, the amount of
				supplemental assistance, if any, the providers shall provide each eligible new
				subscriber or eligible subscriber.
d)
				Whenever UTAC elects or is obligated to make a filing under this Section or any
				other provision of this Part, UTAC may address BIAS and local exchange service in
				the same filing, provided that any discussion of programs, supplemental assistance
				or recommendations shall clearly identify whether the discussion pertains to BIAS,
				local exchange service, or both.
e) If
				and when UTAC develops a recommendation for UTAC to administer a program to provide
				assistance to eligible customers and/or eligible new customers of BIAS offered by
				BIAS providers that voluntarily participate in that program, UTAC may propose to
				extend the BIAS program to include assistance to eligible customers and/or eligible
				new customers of Voice Telephony Service (as that term is defined in
				47 CFR 54.400
				(July 1, 2017)) other than local exchange service offered by Voice Telephony Service
				providers that voluntarily participate in the BIAS program.