Telecom bills advanced in Okla., Fla., N.Y., Pa. Okla. Gov. Brad...

the telephone number being registered. Since the list is considered an official state document, the full listing had been required under the state open records laws, but this bill exempted the no-call list from open records requirements so the personal identifying info could be removed. The Fla. legislature passed a bill (SB-2178) to create a special state fund to facilitate deployment of advanced telecom services in areas where such services are lacking. The bill sent to Gov. Jeb Bush (R) doesn’t appropriate any money for the new Digital Divide Trust Fund within the Fla. State Technology Office. The bill says the fund can receive money from state appropriations, gifts, donations and matching contributions from private- and public-sector persons and entities. The program would terminate in 4 years unless extended by the legislature. The N.Y. Assembly passed and sent to the Senate a bill (AB-1652) that would expand Lifeline eligibility. The bill would make any person or family who qualifies for food stamps, subsidized school lunches, veterans disability pension, or any other federal or state assistance program for the poor or disabled eligible for Lifeline rates. Local service providers would use either customer-provided information or data from 3rd parties to verify eligibility. The bill also would require that any local service provider who received federal universal service support must offer Lifeline service to eligible subscribers. The Pa. House passed and sent to the Senate a telemarketing bill (HB-276) that would terminate the state’s no-call telemarketing list once a federal no-call list goes into effect, and all numbers on the state list would be placed on the federal list. It also would allow wireless phone numbers to be placed on the state list.