Texas Utilities Code

§ 66.006 — IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUNICIPALITY

UT § 66.006Title 2. PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY ACT · Part C. TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES · Ch. 66. STATE-ISSUED CABLE AND VIDEO FRANCHISE

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(a)Until the expiration or termination of the incumbent cable service provider's agreement, the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority shall pay a municipality in which it is offering cable service or video service the same cash payments on a per subscriber basis as required by the incumbent cable service provider's franchise agreement. All cable service providers and all video service providers shall report quarterly to the municipality the total number of subscribers served within the municipality. The amount paid by the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority shall be calculated quarterly by the municipality by multiplying the amount of cash payment under the incumbent cable service provider's franchise agreement by a number derived by dividing the number of subscribers served by a video service provider or cable service provider by the total number of video or cable service subscribers in the municipality. Such pro rata payments are to be paid quarterly to the municipality within 45 days after the end of the quarter for the preceding calendar quarter.

(b)On the expiration or termination of the incumbent cable service provider's agreement, the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority shall pay a municipality in which it is offering cable service or video service one percent of the provider's gross revenues, as defined by this chapter, or at the municipality's election, the per subscriber fee that was paid to the municipality under the expired or terminated incumbent cable service provider's agreement, in lieu of in-kind compensation and grants. Payments under this subsection shall be paid in the same manner as outlined in Section 66.005(b).

(c)All fees paid to municipalities under this section are paid in accordance with 47 U.S.C. Sections 531 and 541(a)(4)(B) and may be used by the municipality as allowed by federal law; further, these payments are not chargeable as a credit against the franchise fee payments authorized under this chapter. (c-1) The holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority shall include with a fee paid to a municipality under this section a statement identifying the fee. (c-2) A municipality that receives fees under this section:

(1)shall maintain revenue from the fees in a separate account established for that purpose;

(2)may not commingle revenue from the fees with any other money;

(3)shall maintain a record of each deposit to and disbursement from the separate account, including a record of the payee and purpose of each disbursement; and

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Legislative history

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1077 (S.B. 1087), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2011.