AB 186

Under current law, a person that provides active retail voice communications

service (communications provider) must impose a monthly fee of $0.75 on each

communications service connection with an assigned telephone number. However,

for a prepaid wireless plan, a communications provider or retailer must impose a

one-time fee of $0.38, instead of the $0.75 monthly fee. Current law allows a

communications provider or retailer to separately list the fee on customer bills. If

separately listed, the communications provider or retailer must identify the fee as

"police and fire protection fee." Communications providers and retailers must remit

the fees to the Public Service Commission (PSC), except that the PSC may contract

with the Department of Revenue (DOR) to collect the fees for prepaid wireless plans.

The PSC and DOR must deposit the fees in the police and fire protection fund, which

is used to make shared revenue payments to counties, towns, villages, and cities.

This bill eliminates the requirement for communications providers and

retailers to impose the above fees. The bill also eliminates the police and fire

protection fund and the shared revenue payments made from that fund.