5246S.05F

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 30

    WHEREAS, competition in the voice communications industry is developing rapidly and is widespread in the State of Missouri; and

    WHEREAS, Missouri law governing the telecommunications industry must evolve to meet the needs of Missouri consumers; and

    WHEREAS, consumer choice in voice communications is available through the traditional wireline, wireless, cable, and interconnected voice over Internet protocol industries; and

    WHEREAS, the methodology by which carriers are compensated for the use of their network is, by its nature, complex, detailed, and inter-related to numerous other economic forces; and

    WHEREAS, the need to make equitable changes in the inter-carrier compensation regime will require a comprehensive, holistic, and deliberate approach to reform; and

    WHEREAS, due to the complex nature of inter-carrier compensation, comprehensive study and discussion is required; and

    WHEREAS, pricing of voice telecommunications services is important to promote competition for the long-term benefit of consumers; and

    WHEREAS, a forum for review and discussion between these very competitive industries will aid in addressing the concerns of both the industry and consumers:

    NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fourth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, that to ensure that thoughtful and necessary changes to the regulation of voice communications in Missouri and the need to protect Missouri consumers and provide them with more communications choices, the General Assembly must endeavor to comprehensively study further the matters detailed herein; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fourth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby establish a Joint Interim Committee on Voice Communications Regulation to be composed of ten members, five of which shall be from the House of Representatives with three appointed by the Speaker of the House and two appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the House, and five members shall be from the Senate with three appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate and two appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the Senate; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Interim Committee is authorized to function during the legislative interim between the Second Regular Session of the Ninety-fourth General Assembly through January 15, 2009, of the First Regular Session of the Ninety-fifth General Assembly to study the following:

    (1) The need to make changes to the inter-carrier compensation system wherein voice communications providers exchange traffic on other provider's networks; and

    (2) The issue of whether market-based pricing exists in the voice telecommunications industry, and any recommended action to be taken by the General Assembly, if any; and

    (3) Such other matters as the Joint Interim Committee may deem necessary in order to determine the proper course of future legislative and budgetary action regarding these issues; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Interim Committee shall prepare a final report, together with its recommendations for any legislative action deemed necessary for submission to the General Assembly by January 15, 2009; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Interim Committee may solicit input and information necessary to fulfill its obligations, including but not limited to soliciting input and information from any state department or agency the Joint Interim Committee deems relevant, consumer advocates, political subdivisions of this State, and the general public; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the staffs of House Research, the Joint Committee on Legislative Research, and Senate Research shall provide such legal, research, clerical, technical, and bill drafting services as the Joint Interim Committee may require in the performance of its duties; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the actual and necessary expenses of the Joint Interim Committee, its members, and any staff assigned to the Joint Interim Committee incurred by the Joint Interim Committee shall be paid by the Joint Contingent Fund.