SB0096ham003 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. John E. Bradley

Filed: 5/27/2015

09900SB0096ham003 LRB099 04130 SXM 36223 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 96

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 96 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"ARTICLE I

Section 1-5. The Attorney General Act is amended by changing Section 6.5 as follows:

(15 ILCS 205/6.5)

Sec. 6.5. Consumer Utilities Unit.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the health, welfare, and prosperity of all Illinois citizens, and the public's interest in adequate, safe, reliable, cost-effective electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications services, requires effective public representation by the Attorney General to protect the rights and interests of the public in the provision of all elements of electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications service both during and after the transition to a competitive market, and that to ensure that the benefits of competition in the provision of electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications services to all consumers are attained, there shall be created within the Office of the Attorney General a Consumer Utilities Unit.

(b) As used in this Section: "Electric services" means services sold by an electric service provider. "Electric service provider" shall mean anyone who sells, contracts to sell, or markets electric power, generation, distribution, transmission, or services (including metering and billing) in connection therewith. Electric service providers shall include any electric utility and any alternative retail electric supplier as defined in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act.

(b-5) As used in this Section: "Telecommunications services" means services sold by a telecommunications carrier, as provided for in Section 13-203 of the Public Utilities Act. "Telecommunications carrier" means anyone who sells, contracts to sell, or markets telecommunications services, whether noncompetitive or competitive, including access services, interconnection services, or any services in connection therewith. Telecommunications carriers include any carrier as defined in Section 13-202 of the Public Utilities Act.

(b-10) As used in this Section, "natural gas services" means natural gas services sold by a "gas utility" or by an "alternative gas supplier", as those terms are defined in Section 19-105 of the Public Utilities Act.

(b-15) As used in this Section, "water services" means services sold by any corporation, company, limited liability company, association, joint stock company or association, firm, partnership, or individual, its lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court and that owns, controls, operates, or manages within this State, directly or indirectly, for public use, any plant, equipment, or property used or to be used for or in connection with (i) the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of water or (ii) the treatment, storage, transmission, disposal, sale of services, delivery, or furnishing of sewage or sewage services.

(b-20) As used in this Section, "cable service and video service" means services sold by anyone who sells, contracts to sell, or markets cable services or video services pursuant to a State-issued authorization under the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007.

(c) There is created within the Office of the Attorney General a Consumer Utilities Unit, consisting of Assistant Attorneys General appointed by the Attorney General, who, together with such other staff as is deemed necessary by the Attorney General, shall have the power and duty on behalf of the people of the State to intervene in, initiate, enforce, and defend all legal proceedings on matters relating to the provision, marketing, and sale of electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications service whenever the Attorney General determines that such action is necessary to promote or protect the rights and interests of all Illinois citizens, classes of customers, and users of electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications services.

(d) In addition to the investigative and enforcement powers available to the Attorney General, including without limitation those under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, the Illinois Antitrust Act, and any other law of this State, the Attorney General shall be a party as a matter of right to all proceedings, investigations, and related matters involving the provision of electric, natural gas, water, cable, video, and telecommunications services before the Illinois Commerce Commission, the courts, and other public bodies. Upon request, the Office of the Attorney General shall have access to and the use of all files, records, data, and documents in the possession or control of the Commission. The Office of the Attorney General may use information obtained under this Section, including information that is designated as and that qualifies for confidential treatment, which information the Attorney General's office shall maintain as confidential, to be used for law enforcement purposes only, which information may be shared with other law enforcement officials. Nothing in this Section is intended to take away or limit any of the powers the Attorney General has pursuant to common law or other statutory law.

(Source: P.A. 94-291, eff. 7-21-05; 95-9, eff. 6-30-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

Section 1-10. The Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 2605-25 and by adding Section 2605-52 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2605/2605-25) (was 20 ILCS 2605/55a-1)

Sec. 2605-25. Department divisions. The Department is divided into the Illinois State Police Academy, the Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator, and 4 divisions: the Division of Operations, the Division of Forensic Services, the Division of Administration, and the Division of Internal Investigation. Beginning on July 1, 2015, there shall be the Division of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator within the Department of State Police to develop, implement, and oversee a uniform statewide 9-1-1 system for all areas of the State outside of municipalities having a population of more than 500,000.

(Source: P.A. 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

(20 ILCS 2605/2605-52 new)

Sec. 2605-52. Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator.

(a) There shall be established an Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator within the Department. Beginning January 1, 2016, the Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator shall be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing a uniform statewide 9-1-1 system for all areas of the State outside of municipalities having a population over 500,000.

(b) The Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator. The Administrator shall serve for a term of 2 years, and until a successor is appointed and qualified; except that the term of the first 9-1-1 Administrator appointed under this Act shall expire on the third Monday in January, 2017. The Administrator shall not hold any other remunerative public office. The Administrator shall receive an annual salary as set by the Governor.

Section 1-15. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 5.866 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.866 new)

Sec. 5.866. The Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund.

Section 1-20. The Emergency Telephone System Act is amended by changing Section 15.3 and by adding Sections 19, 75, and 99 as follows:

(50 ILCS 750/15.3) (from Ch. 134, par. 45.3)

Sec. 15.3. Local non-wireless surcharge Surcharge.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (l) of this Section, the The corporate authorities of any municipality or any county may, subject to the limitations of subsections (c), (d), and (h), and in addition to any tax levied pursuant to the Simplified Municipal Telecommunications Tax Act, impose a monthly surcharge on billed subscribers of network connection provided by telecommunication carriers engaged in the business of transmitting messages by means of electricity originating within the corporate limits of the municipality or county imposing the surcharge at a rate per network connection determined in accordance with subsection (c), however the monthly surcharge shall not apply to a network connection provided for use with pay telephone services. Provided, however, that where multiple voice grade communications channels are connected between the subscriber's premises and a public switched network through private branch exchange (PBX) or centrex type service, a municipality imposing a surcharge at a rate per network connection, as determined in accordance with this Act, shall impose:

(i) in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or less or in any county, 5 such surcharges per network connection, as determined in accordance with subsections (a) and (d) of Section 2.12 of this Act, for both regular service and advanced service provisioned trunk lines;

(ii) in a municipality with a population, prior to March 1, 2010, of 500,000 or more, 5 surcharges per network connection, as determined in accordance with subsections (a) and (d) of Section 2.12 of this Act, for both regular service and advanced service provisioned trunk lines;

(iii) in a municipality with a population, as of March 1, 2010, of 500,000 or more, 5 surcharges per network connection, as determined in accordance with subsections (a) and (d) of Section 2.12 of this Act, for regular service provisioned trunk lines, and 12 surcharges per network connection, as determined in accordance with subsections (a) and (d) of Section 2.12 of this Act, for advanced service provisioned trunk lines, except where an advanced service provisioned trunk line supports at least 2 but fewer than 23 simultaneous voice grade calls ("VGC's"), a telecommunication carrier may elect to impose fewer than 12 surcharges per trunk line as provided in subsection (iv) of this Section; or

(iv) for an advanced service provisioned trunk line connected between the subscriber's premises and the public switched network through a P.B.X., where the advanced service provisioned trunk line is capable of transporting at least 2 but fewer than 23 simultaneous VGC's per trunk line, the telecommunications carrier collecting the surcharge may elect to impose surcharges in accordance with the table provided in this Section, without limiting any telecommunications carrier's obligations to otherwise keep and maintain records. Any telecommunications carrier electing to impose fewer than 12 surcharges per an advanced service provisioned trunk line shall keep and maintain records adequately to demonstrate the VGC capability of each advanced service provisioned trunk line with fewer than 12 surcharges imposed, provided that 12 surcharges shall be imposed on an advanced service provisioned trunk line regardless of the VGC capability where a telecommunications carrier cannot demonstrate the VGC capability of the advanced service provisioned trunk line.

Subsections (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) are not intended to make any change in the meaning of this Section, but are intended to remove possible ambiguity, thereby confirming the intent of paragraph (a) as it existed prior to and following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.

For mobile telecommunications services, if a surcharge is imposed it shall be imposed based upon the municipality or county that encompasses the customer's place of primary use as defined in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Conformity Act. A municipality may enter into an intergovernmental agreement with any county in which it is partially located, when the county has adopted an ordinance to impose a surcharge as provided in subsection (c), to include that portion of the municipality lying outside the county in that county's surcharge referendum. If the county's surcharge referendum is approved, the portion of the municipality identified in the intergovernmental agreement shall automatically be disconnected from the county in which it lies and connected to the county which approved the referendum for purposes of a surcharge on telecommunications carriers.

(b) For purposes of computing the surcharge imposed by subsection (a), the network connections to which the surcharge shall apply shall be those in-service network connections, other than those network connections assigned to the municipality or county, where the service address for each such network connection or connections is located within the corporate limits of the municipality or county levying the surcharge. Except for mobile telecommunication services, the "service address" shall mean the location of the primary use of the network connection or connections. For mobile telecommunication services, "service address" means the customer's place of primary use as defined in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Conformity Act.

(c) Upon the passage of an ordinance to impose a surcharge under this Section the clerk of the municipality or county shall certify the question of whether the surcharge may be imposed to the proper election authority who shall submit the public question to the electors of the municipality or county in accordance with the general election law; provided that such question shall not be submitted at a consolidated primary election. The public question shall be in substantially the following form:

-------------------------------------------------------------

Shall the county (or city, village or incorporated town) of ..... impose YES a surcharge of up to ...¢ per month per network connection, which surcharge will be added to the monthly bill you receive ------------------

for telephone or telecommunications charges, for the purpose of installing (or improving) a 9-1-1 Emergency NO Telephone System?

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If a majority of the votes cast upon the public question are in favor thereof, the surcharge shall be imposed.

However, if a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board is to be created pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement under Section 15.4, the ordinance to impose the surcharge shall be subject to the approval of a majority of the total number of votes cast upon the public question by the electors of all of the municipalities or counties, or combination thereof, that are parties to the intergovernmental agreement.

The referendum requirement of this subsection (c) shall not apply to any municipality with a population over 500,000 or to any county in which a proposition as to whether a sophisticated 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System should be installed in the county, at a cost not to exceed a specified monthly amount per network connection, has previously been approved by a majority of the electors of the county voting on the proposition at an election conducted before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987.

(d) A county may not impose a surcharge, unless requested by a municipality, in any incorporated area which has previously approved a surcharge as provided in subsection (c) or in any incorporated area where the corporate authorities of the municipality have previously entered into a binding contract or letter of intent with a telecommunications carrier to provide sophisticated 9-1-1 service through municipal funds.

(e) A municipality or county may at any time by ordinance change the rate of the surcharge imposed under this Section if the new rate does not exceed the rate specified in the referendum held pursuant to subsection (c).

(f) The surcharge authorized by this Section shall be collected from the subscriber by the telecommunications carrier providing the subscriber the network connection as a separately stated item on the subscriber's bill.

(g) The amount of surcharge collected by the telecommunications carrier shall be paid to the particular municipality or county or Joint Emergency Telephone System Board not later than 30 days after the surcharge is collected, net of any network or other 9-1-1 or sophisticated 9-1-1 system charges then due the particular telecommunications carrier, as shown on an itemized bill. The telecommunications carrier collecting the surcharge shall also be entitled to deduct 3% of the gross amount of surcharge collected to reimburse the telecommunications carrier for the expense of accounting and collecting the surcharge.

(h) Except as expressly provided in subsection (a) of this Section, on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly and until July 1, 2017 2015, a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more shall not impose a monthly surcharge per network connection in excess of the highest monthly surcharge imposed as of January 1, 2014 by any county or municipality under subsection (c) of this Section. On or after July 1, 2017 2015, a municipality with a population over 500,000 may not impose a monthly surcharge in excess of $2.50 per network connection.

(i) Any municipality or county or joint emergency telephone system board that has imposed a surcharge pursuant to this Section prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990 shall hereafter impose the surcharge in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section.

(j) The corporate authorities of any municipality or county may issue, in accordance with Illinois law, bonds, notes or other obligations secured in whole or in part by the proceeds of the surcharge described in this Section. Notwithstanding any change in law subsequent to the issuance of any bonds, notes or other obligations secured by the surcharge, every municipality or county issuing such bonds, notes or other obligations shall be authorized to impose the surcharge as though the laws relating to the imposition of the surcharge in effect at the time of issuance of the bonds, notes or other obligations were in full force and effect until the bonds, notes or other obligations are paid in full. The State of Illinois pledges and agrees that it will not limit or alter the rights and powers vested in municipalities and counties by this Section to impose the surcharge so as to impair the terms of or affect the security for bonds, notes or other obligations secured in whole or in part with the proceeds of the surcharge described in this Section. The pledge and agreement set forth in this Section survive the termination of the surcharge under subsection (l) by virtue of the replacement of the surcharge monies guaranteed under Section 20; the State of Illinois pledges and agrees that it will not limit or alter the rights vested in municipalities and counties to the surcharge replacement funds guaranteed under Section 20 so as to impair the terms of or affect the security for bonds, notes or other obligations secured in whole or in part with the proceeds of the surcharge described in this Section.

(k) Any surcharge collected by or imposed on a telecommunications carrier pursuant to this Section shall be held to be a special fund in trust for the municipality, county or Joint Emergency Telephone Board imposing the surcharge. Except for the 3% deduction provided in subsection (g) above, the special fund shall not be subject to the claims of creditors of the telecommunication carrier.

(l) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, no county or municipality, other than a municipality with a population over 500,000, may impose a monthly surcharge under this Section in excess of the amount imposed by it on the effective date of this Act. Any surcharge imposed pursuant to this Section by a county or municipality, other than a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000, shall cease to be imposed on January 1, 2016.

(Source: P.A. 97-463, eff. 8-19-11; 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

(50 ILCS 750/19 new)

Sec. 19. Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board.

(a) Beginning July 1, 2015, there is created the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board within the Department of State Police. The Board shall consist of the following 11 voting members:

(1) The Director of the State Police, or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairman.

(2) The Executive Director of the Commission, or his or her designee.

(3) Nine members appointed by the Governor as follows:

(A) one member representing the Illinois chapter of the National Emergency Number Association, or his or her designee;

(B) one member representing the Illinois chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, or his or her designee;

(C) one member representing a county 9-1-1 system from a county with a population of less than 50,000;

(D) one member representing a county 9-1-1 system from a county with a population between 50,000 and 250,000;

(E) one member representing a county 9-1-1 system from a county with a population of more than 250,000;

(F) one member representing a municipality with a population of less than 500,000 in a county with a population of in excess of 2,000,000;

(G) one member representing the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police;

(H) one member representing the Illinois Sheriffs' Association; and

(I) one member representing the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association.

The Governor shall appoint the following non-voting members: (i) one member representing an incumbent local exchange 9-1-1 system provider; (ii) one member representing a non-incumbent local exchange 9-1-1 system provider; (iii) one member representing a large wireless carrier; (iv) one member representing a small wireless carrier; and (v) one member representing the Illinois Telecommunications Association.

(b) The Governor shall make initial appointments to the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board by August 31, 2015. Six of the voting members appointed by the Governor shall serve an initial term of 2 years, and the remaining voting members appointed by the Governor shall serve an initial term of 3 years. Thereafter, each appointment by the Governor shall be for a term of 3 years. Non-voting members shall serve for a term of 3 years. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Persons appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term.

Members of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board shall serve without compensation.

(c) The 9-1-1 Services Advisory Board, as constituted on June 1, 2015 without the legislative members, shall serve in the role of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board until all appointments of voting members have been made by the Governor under subsection (a) of this Section.

(d) The Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board shall:

(1) advise the Department of State Police and the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator on the oversight of 9-1-1 systems and the development and implementation of a uniform statewide 9-1-1 system;

(2) make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding improvements to 9-1-1 services throughout the State; and

(3) exercise all other powers and duties provided in this Act.

(e) The Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board shall submit to the General Assembly a report by March 1 of each year providing an update on the transition to a statewide 9-1-1 system and recommending any legislative action.

(f) The Department of State Police shall provide administrative support to the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board.

(50 ILCS 750/75 new)

Sec. 75. Transfer of rights, functions, powers, duties, and property to Department of State Police; rules and standards; savings provisions.

(a) On January 1, 2016, the rights, functions, powers, and duties of the Illinois Commerce Commission as set forth in this Act and the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act existing prior to January 1, 2016, are transferred to and shall be exercised by the Department of State Police. On or before January 1, 2016, the Commission shall transfer and deliver to the Department all books, records, documents, property (real and personal), unexpended appropriations, and pending business pertaining to the rights, powers, duties, and functions transferred to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly.

(b) The rules and standards of the Commission that are in effect on January 1, 2016 and that pertain to the rights, powers, duties, and functions transferred to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly shall become the rules and standards of the Department on January 1, 2016, and shall continue in effect until amended or repealed by the Department.

Any rules pertaining to the rights, powers, duties, and functions transferred to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly that have been proposed by the Commission but have not taken effect or been finally adopted by January 1, 2016, shall become proposed rules of the Department on January 1, 2016, and any rulemaking procedures that have already been completed by the Commission for those proposed rules need not be repealed.

As soon as it is practical after January 1, 2016, the Department shall revise and clarify the rules transferred to it under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly to reflect the transfer of rights, powers, duties, and functions effected by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly using the procedures for recodification of rules available under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, except that existing title, part, and section numbering for the affected rules may be retained. The Department may propose and adopt under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act any other rules necessary to consolidate and clarify those rules.

(c) The rights, powers, duties, and functions transferred to the Department by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly shall be vested in and exercised by the Department subject to the provisions of this Act and the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act. An act done by the Department or an officer, employee, or agent of the Department in the exercise of the transferred rights, powers, duties, and functions shall have the same legal effect as if done by the Commission or an officer, employee, or agent of the Commission.

The transfer of rights, powers, duties, and functions to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly does not invalidate any previous action taken by or in respect to the Commission, its officers, employees, or agents. References to the Commission or its officers, employees, or agents in any document, contract, agreement, or law shall, in appropriate contexts, be deemed to refer to the Department or its officers, employees, or agents.

The transfer of rights, powers, duties, and functions to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly does not affect any person's rights, obligations, or duties, including any civil or criminal penalties applicable thereto, arising out of those transferred rights, powers, duties, and functions.

This amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly does not affect any act done, ratified, or cancelled, any right occurring or established, or any action or proceeding commenced in an administrative, civil, or criminal case before January 1, 2016. Any such action or proceeding that pertains to a right, power, duty, or function transferred to the Department under this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly that is pending on that date may be prosecuted, defended, or continued by the Commission.

For the purposes of Section 9b of the State Finance Act, the Department is the successor to the Commission with respect to the rights, duties, powers, and functions transferred by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly.

(c) The Department is authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Commission for the purpose of having the Commission assist the Department and the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator in carrying out their duties and functions under this Act. The agreement may provide for funding for the Commission for its assistance to the Department and the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator.

(50 ILCS 750/99 new)

Sec. 99. Repealer. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2017.

Section 1-25. The Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act is amended by changing Sections 27, 45, and 70 as follows:

(50 ILCS 751/27)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 27. Financial reports.

(a) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall create uniform accounting procedures, with such modification as may be required to give effect to statutory provisions applicable only to municipalities with a population in excess of 500,000, that any emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government described in Section 15 of this Act and Section 15.4 of the Emergency Telephone System Act or any entity imposing a wireless surcharge pursuant to Section 45 of this Act must follow.

(b) By October 1, 2014, each emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government described in Section 15 of this Act and Section 15.4 of the Emergency Telephone System Act or any entity imposing a wireless surcharge pursuant to Section 45 of this Act shall report to the Illinois Commerce Commission audited financial statements showing total revenue and expenditures for each of the last two of its fiscal years in a form and manner as prescribed by the Illinois Commerce Commission's Manager of Accounting. Such financial information shall include:

(1) a detailed summary of revenue from all sources including, but not limited to, local, State, federal, and private revenues, and any other funds received;

(2) operating expenses, capital expenditures, and cash balances; and

(3) such other financial information that is relevant to the provision of 9-1-1 services as determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission's Manager of Accounting.

The emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government is responsible for any costs associated with auditing such financial statements. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall post the audited financial statements on the Commission's website.

(c) By October 1, 2015 January 31, 2016 and each year thereafter, each emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government described in Section 15 of this Act and Section 15.4 of the Emergency Telephone System Act or any entity imposing a wireless surcharge pursuant to Section 45 of this Act shall report to the Illinois Commerce Commission audited annual financial statements showing total revenue and expenditures in a form and manner as prescribed by the Illinois Commerce Commission's Manager of Accounting.

The emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government is responsible for any costs associated with auditing such financial statements.

The Illinois Commerce Commission shall post each entity's individual audited annual financial statements on the Commission's website.

(d) If an emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity that receives funds from the Wireless Service Emergency Fund fails to file the 9-1-1 system financial reports as required under this Section, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall suspend and withhold monthly grants otherwise due to the emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity under Section 25 of this Act until the report is filed.

Any monthly grants that have been withheld for 12 months or more shall be forfeited by the emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity and shall be distributed proportionally by the Illinois Commerce Commission to compliant emergency telephone system boards and qualified governmental entities that receive funds from the Wireless Service Emergency Fund.

(e) The Illinois Commerce Commission may adopt emergency rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

(50 ILCS 751/45)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 45. Continuation of current practices.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a unit of local government or emergency telephone system board providing wireless 9-1-1 service and imposing and collecting a wireless carrier surcharge prior to July 1, 1998 may continue its practices of imposing and collecting its wireless carrier surcharge, but, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, in no event shall that monthly surcharge exceed $2.50 per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis. For mobile telecommunications services provided on and after August 1, 2002, any surcharge imposed shall be imposed based upon the municipality or county that encompasses the customer's place of primary use as defined in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Conformity Act.

(b) On or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly and until July 1, 2017 2015, the corporate authorities of a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000 on the effective date of this amendatory Act may by ordinance impose and collect a monthly surcharge per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis that does not exceed the highest monthly surcharge imposed as of January 1, 2014 by any county or municipality under subsection (c) of Section 15.3 of the Emergency Telephone System Act. On or after July 1, 2017 2015, the municipality may continue imposing and collecting its wireless carrier surcharge as provided in and subject to the limitations of subsection (a) of this Section.

(c) In addition to any other lawful purpose, a municipality with a population over 500,000 may use the moneys collected under this Section for any anti-terrorism or emergency preparedness measures, including, but not limited to, preparedness planning, providing local matching funds for federal or State grants, personnel training, and specialized equipment, including surveillance cameras as needed to deal with natural and terrorist-inspired emergency situations or events.

(Source: P.A. 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

(50 ILCS 751/70)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 70. Repealer. This Act is repealed on December 31 July 1, 2015.

(Source: P.A. 97-1163, eff. 2-4-13; 98-45, eff. 6-28-13; 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

Section 1-30. The Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(50 ILCS 753/15)

Sec. 15. Prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge.

(a) Until September 30, 2015, there There is hereby imposed on consumers a prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge of 1.5% per retail transaction. Beginning October 1, 2015, the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge shall be 3% per retail transaction. The surcharge authorized by this subsection (a) does not apply in a home rule municipality having a population in excess of 500,000. The amount of the surcharge may be reduced or increased pursuant to subsection (e).

(a-5) On or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly and until July 1, 2017 2015, a home rule municipality having a population in excess of 500,000 on the effective date of this amendatory Act may impose a prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge not to exceed 9% per retail transaction sourced to that jurisdiction and collected and remitted in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b-5) of this Section. On or after July 1, 2017 2015, a home rule municipality having a population in excess of 500,000 on the effective date of this Act may only impose a prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge not to exceed 7% per retail transaction sourced to that jurisdiction and collected and remitted in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b-5).

(b) The prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge shall be collected by the seller from the consumer with respect to each retail transaction occurring in this State and shall be remitted to the Department by the seller as provided in this Act. The amount of the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge shall be separately stated as a distinct item apart from the charge for the prepaid wireless telecommunications service on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document that is provided to the consumer by the seller or shall be otherwise disclosed to the consumer. If the seller does not separately state the surcharge as a distinct item to the consumer as provided in this Section, then the seller shall maintain books and records as required by this Act which clearly identify the amount of the 9-1-1 surcharge for retail transactions.

For purposes of this subsection (b), a retail transaction occurs in this State if (i) the retail transaction is made in person by a consumer at the seller's business location and the business is located within the State; (ii) the seller is a provider and sells prepaid wireless telecommunications service to a consumer located in Illinois; (iii) the retail transaction is treated as occurring in this State for purposes of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act; or (iv) a seller that is included within the definition of a "retailer maintaining a place of business in this State" under Section 2 of the Use Tax Act makes a sale of prepaid wireless telecommunications service to a consumer located in Illinois. In the case of a retail transaction which does not occur in person at a seller's business location, if a consumer uses a credit card to purchase prepaid wireless telecommunications service on-line or over the telephone, and no product is shipped to the consumer, the transaction occurs in this State if the billing address for the consumer's credit card is in this State.

(b-5) The prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge imposed under subsection (a-5) of this Section shall be collected by the seller from the consumer with respect to each retail transaction occurring in the municipality imposing the surcharge. The amount of the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge shall be separately stated on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document that is provided to the consumer by the seller or shall be otherwise disclosed to the consumer. If the seller does not separately state the surcharge as a distinct item to the consumer as provided in this Section, then the seller shall maintain books and records as required by this Act which clearly identify the amount of the 9-1-1 surcharge for retail transactions.

For purposes of this subsection (b-5), a retail transaction occurs in the municipality if (i) the retail transaction is made in person by a consumer at the seller's business location and the business is located within the municipality; (ii) the seller is a provider and sells prepaid wireless telecommunications service to a consumer located in the municipality; (iii) the retail transaction is treated as occurring in the municipality for purposes of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act; or (iv) a seller that is included within the definition of a "retailer maintaining a place of business in this State" under Section 2 of the Use Tax Act makes a sale of prepaid wireless telecommunications service to a consumer located in the municipality. In the case of a retail transaction which does not occur in person at a seller's business location, if a consumer uses a credit card to purchase prepaid wireless telecommunications service on-line or over the telephone, and no product is shipped to the consumer, the transaction occurs in the municipality if the billing address for the consumer's credit card is in the municipality.

(c) The prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge is imposed on the consumer and not on any provider. The seller shall be liable to remit all prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges that the seller collects from consumers as provided in Section 20, including all such surcharges that the seller is deemed to collect where the amount of the surcharge has not been separately stated on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document provided to the consumer by the seller. The surcharge collected or deemed collected by a seller shall constitute a debt owed by the seller to this State, and any such surcharge actually collected shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Department.

For purposes of this subsection (c), the surcharge shall not be imposed or collected from entities that have an active tax exemption identification number issued by the Department under Section 1g of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(d) The amount of the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge that is collected by a seller from a consumer, if such amount is separately stated on an invoice, receipt, or other similar document provided to the consumer by the seller, shall not be included in the base for measuring any tax, fee, surcharge, or other charge that is imposed by this State, any political subdivision of this State, or any intergovernmental agency.

(e) (Blank.) The prepaid wireless 9-1-1 charge imposed under subsection (a) of this Section shall be proportionately increased or reduced, as applicable, upon any change to the surcharge imposed under Section 17 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act. The adjusted rate shall be determined by dividing the amount of the surcharge imposed under Section 17 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act by $50. Such increase or reduction shall be effective on the first day of the first calendar month to occur at least 60 days after the enactment of the change to the surcharge imposed under Section 17 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act. The Department shall provide not less than 30 days' notice of an increase or reduction in the amount of the surcharge on the Department's website.

(e-5) Any changes in the rate of the surcharge imposed by a municipality under the authority granted in subsection (a-5) of this Section shall be effective on the first day of the first calendar month to occur at least 60 days after the enactment of the change. The Department shall provide not less than 30 days' notice of the increase or reduction in the rate of such surcharge on the Department's website.

(f) When prepaid wireless telecommunications service is sold with one or more other products or services for a single, non-itemized price, then the percentage specified in subsection (a) or (a-5) of this Section 15 shall be applied to the entire non-itemized price unless the seller elects to apply the percentage to (i) the dollar amount of the prepaid wireless telecommunications service if that dollar amount is disclosed to the consumer or (ii) the portion of the price that is attributable to the prepaid wireless telecommunications service if the retailer can identify that portion by reasonable and verifiable standards from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business for other purposes, including, but not limited to, books and records that are kept for non-tax purposes. However, if a minimal amount of prepaid wireless telecommunications service is sold with a prepaid wireless device for a single, non-itemized price, then the seller may elect not to apply the percentage specified in subsection (a) or (a-5) of this Section 15 to such transaction. For purposes of this subsection, an amount of service denominated as 10 minutes or less or $5 or less is considered minimal.

(g) The prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge imposed under subsections (a) and (a-5) of this Section is not imposed on the provider or the consumer for wireless Lifeline service where the consumer does not pay the provider for the service. Where the consumer purchases from the provider optional minutes, texts, or other services in addition to the federally-funded Lifeline benefit, a consumer must pay the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge, and it must be collected by the seller according to subsection (b-5).

(Source: P.A. 97-463, eff. 1-1-12; 97-748, eff. 7-6-12; 98-634, eff. 6-6-14.)

Section 1-31. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section 5-1095.1 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/5-1095.1)

Sec. 5-1095.1. County franchise fee or service provider fee review; requests for information.

(a) If pursuant to its franchise agreement with a community antenna television system (CATV) operator, a county imposes a franchise fee authorized by 47 U.S.C. 542 or if a community antenna television system (CATV) operator providing cable or video service in that county is required to pay the service provider fees imposed by the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007, then the county may conduct an audit of that CATV operator's franchise fees or service provider fees derived from the provision of cable and video services to subscribers within the franchise area to determine whether the amount of franchise fees or service provider fees paid by that CATV operator to the county was accurate. Any audit conducted under this subsection (a) shall determine, for a period of not more than 4 years after the date the franchise fees or service provider fees were due, any overpayment or underpayment to the county by the CATV operator, and the amount due to the county or CATV operator is limited to the net difference.

(b) Not more than once every 2 years, a county or its agent that is authorized to perform an audit as set forth in subsection (a) that has imposed a franchise fee authorized by 47 U.S.C. 542 may, subject to the limitations and protections stated in the Local Government Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act, request information from the CATV operator in the format maintained by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business that the county reasonably requires in order to perform an audit under subsection (a). The information that may be requested by the county includes without limitation the following:

(1) in an electronic format used by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business, the database used by the CATV operator to determine the amount of the franchise fee or service provider fee due to the county; and

(2) in a format used by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business, summary data, as needed by the county, to determine the CATV operator's franchise fees or service provider fees derived from the provision of cable and video services to subscribers within the CATV operator's franchise area.

(c) The CATV operator must provide the information requested under subsection (b) within:

(1) 60 days after the receipt of the request if the population of the requesting county is 500,000 or less; or

(2) 90 days after the receipt of the request if the population of the requesting county exceeds 500,000.

The time in which a CATV operator must provide the information requested under subsection (b) may be extended by written an agreement between the county or its agent and the CATV operator.

(c-5) The county or its agent must provide an initial report of its audit findings to the CATV operator no later than 90 days after the information set forth in subsection (b) of this Section has been provided by the CATV operator. This 90-day timeline may be extended one time by written agreement between the county or its agent and the CATV operator. However, in no event shall an extension of time exceed 90 days. This initial report of audit findings shall detail the basis of its findings and provide, but not be limited to, the following information: (i) any overpayments of franchise fees or service provider fees, (ii) any underpayments of franchise fees or service provider fees, (iii) all county addresses that should be included in the CATV operator's database and attributable to that county for determination of franchise fees or service provider fees, and (iv) addresses that should not be included in the CATV operator's database and addresses that are not attributable to that county for determination of franchise fees or service provider fees. Generally accepted auditing standards shall be utilized by the county and its agents in its review of information provided by the CATV operator.

(c-10) In the event that the county or its agent does not provide the initial report of the audit findings to the CATV operator with the timeframes set forth in subsection (c-5) of this Section, then the audit shall be deemed completed and to have conclusively found that there was no overpayment or underpayment by the CATV operator during the 24 months prior to the county or its agents requesting the information set forth in subsection (b) of this Section.

(d) If an audit by the county or its agents finds an error by the CATV operator in the amount of the franchise fees or service provider fees paid by the CATV operator to the county, then the county shall may notify the CATV operator of the error. Any such notice must be given to the CATV operator by the county or its agent within 90 days after the county or its agent discovers the error, and no later than 4 years after the date the franchise fee or service provider fee was due. Upon such a notice, the CATV operator must submit a written response within 60 days after receipt of the notice stating that the CATV operator has corrected the error on a prospective basis or stating the reason that the error is inapplicable or inaccurate. The county or its agent then has 60 days after the receipt of the CATV operator's response to review and contest the conclusion of the CATV operator. No legal proceeding to collect a deficiency or overpayment based upon an alleged error shall be commenced unless within 180 days after the county's notification of the error to the CATV operator the parties are unable to agree on the disposition of the audit findings.

Any legal proceeding to collect a deficiency as set forth in this subsection (d) shall be filed in the appropriate circuit court.

(e) No CATV operator is liable for any error in past franchise fee or service provider fee payments that was unknown by the CATV operator prior to the audit process unless (i) the error was due to negligence on the part of the CATV operator in the collection or processing of required data and (ii) the county had not failed to respond in writing in a timely manner to any written request of the CATV operator to review and correct information used by the CATV operator to calculate the appropriate franchise fees or service provider fees if a diligent review of such information by the county reasonably could have been expected to discover such error.

(f) All account specific information provided by a CATV operator under this Section may be used only for the purpose of an audit conducted under this Section and the enforcement of any franchise fee or service provider fee delinquent claim. All such information must be held in strict confidence by the county and its agents and may not be disclosed to the public under the Freedom of Information Act or under any other similar statutes allowing for or requiring public disclosure.

(f-5) All contracts by and between a county and a third party for the purposes of conducting an audit as contemplated in this Code shall be disclosed to the public under the Freedom of Information Act or under similar statutes allowing for or requiring public disclosure.

(g) For the purposes of this Section, "CATV operator" means a person or entity that provides cable and video services under a franchise agreement with a county pursuant to Section 5-1095 of the Counties Code and a holder authorized under Section 21-401 of the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007 as consistent with Section 21-901 of that Law.

(h) This Section does not apply to any action that was commenced, to any complaint that was filed, or to any audit that was commenced before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly. This Section also does not apply to any franchise agreement that was entered into before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly unless the franchise agreement contains audit provisions but no specifics regarding audit procedures.

(i) The provisions of this Section shall not be construed as diminishing or replacing any civil remedy available to a county, taxpayer, or tax collector.

(j) If a contingent fee is paid to an auditor, then the payment must be based upon the net difference of the complete audit.

(k) Within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, a county shall provide to any CATV operator a complete list of addresses within the corporate limits of the county and shall annually update the list.

(l) This Section is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 96-1422, eff. 8-3-10.)

Section 1-33. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by changing Section 11-42-11.05 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/11-42-11.05)

Sec. 11-42-11.05. Municipal franchise fee or service provider fee review; requests for information.

(a) If pursuant to its franchise agreement with a community antenna television system (CATV) operator, a municipality imposes a franchise fee authorized by 47 U.S.C. 542 or if a community antenna television system (CATV) operator providing cable or video service in that municipality is required to pay the service provider fees imposed by the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007, then the municipality may conduct an audit of that CATV operator's franchise fees or service provider fees derived from the provision of cable and video services to subscribers within the franchise area to determine whether the amount of franchise fees or service provider fees paid by that CATV operator to the municipality was accurate. Any audit conducted under this subsection (a) shall determine, for a period of not more than 4 years after the date the franchise fees or service provider fees were due, any overpayment or underpayment to the municipality by the CATV operator, and the amount due to the municipality or CATV operator is limited to the net difference.

(b) Not more than once every 2 years, a municipality or its agent that is authorized to perform an audit as set forth in subsection (a) of this Section that has imposed a franchise fee authorized by 47 U.S.C. 542 may, subject to the limitations and protections stated in the Local Government Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act, request information from the CATV operator in the format maintained by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business that the municipality reasonably requires in order to perform an audit under subsection (a). The information that may be requested by the municipality includes without limitation the following:

(1) in an electronic format used by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business, the database used by the CATV operator to determine the amount of the franchise fee or service provider fee due to the municipality; and

(2) in a format used by the CATV operator in the ordinary course of its business, summary data, as needed by the municipality, to determine the CATV operator's franchise fees or service provider fees derived from the provision of cable and video services to subscribers within the CATV operator's franchise area.

(c) The CATV operator must provide the information requested under subsection (b) within:

(1) 60 days after the receipt of the request if the population of the requesting municipality is 500,000 or less; or

(2) 90 days after the receipt of the request if the population of the requesting municipality exceeds 500,000.

The time in which a CATV operator must provide the information requested under subsection (b) may be extended by written an agreement between the municipality or its agent and the CATV operator.

(c-5) The municipality or its agent must provide an initial report of its audit findings to the CATV operator no later than 90 days after the information set forth in subsection (b) of this Section has been provided by the CATV operator. This 90-day timeline may be extended one time by written agreement between the municipality or its agents and the CATV operator. However, in no event shall an extension of time exceed 90 days. This initial report of audit findings shall detail the basis of its findings and provide, but not be limited to, the following information: (i) any overpayments of franchise fees or service provider fees, (ii) any underpayments of franchise fees or service provider fees, (iii) all municipal addresses that should be included in the CATV operator's database and attributable to that municipality for determination of franchise fees or service provider fees, and (iv) addresses that should not be included in the CATV operator's database and addresses that are not attributable to that municipality for determination of franchise fees or service provider fees. Generally accepted auditing standards shall be utilized by the municipality and its agents in its review of information provided by the CATV operator.

(c-10) In the event that the municipality or its agent does not provide the initial report of the audit findings to the CATV operator with the timeframes set forth in subsection (c-5) of this Section, then the audit shall be deemed completed and to have conclusively found that there was no overpayment or underpayment by the CATV operator during the 24 months prior to the municipality or its agents requesting the information set forth in subsection (b) of this Section.

(d) If an audit by the municipality or its agents finds an error by the CATV operator in the amount of the franchise fees or service provider fees paid by the CATV operator to the municipality, then the municipality shall may notify the CATV operator of the error. Any such notice must be given to the CATV operator by the municipality or its agent within 90 days after the municipality or its agent discovers the error, and no later than 4 years after the date the franchise fee or service provider fee was due. Upon such a notice, the CATV operator must submit a written response within 60 days after receipt of the notice stating that the CATV operator has corrected the error on a prospective basis or stating the reason that the error is inapplicable or inaccurate. The municipality or its agent then has 60 days after the receipt of the CATV operator's response to review and contest the conclusion of the CATV operator. No legal proceeding to collect a deficiency or overpayment based upon an alleged error shall be commenced unless within 180 days after the municipality's notification of the error to the CATV operator the parties are unable to agree on the disposition of the audit findings.

Any legal proceeding to collect a deficiency as set forth in this subsection (d) shall be filed in the appropriate circuit court.

(e) No CATV operator is liable for any error in past franchise fee or service provider fee payments that was unknown by the CATV operator prior to the audit process unless (i) the error was due to negligence on the part of the CATV operator in the collection or processing of required data and (ii) the municipality had not failed to respond in writing in a timely manner to any written request of the CATV operator to review and correct information used by the CATV operator to calculate the appropriate franchise fees or service provider fees if a diligent review of such information by the municipality reasonably could have been expected to discover such error.

(f) All account specific information provided by a CATV operator under this Section may be used only for the purpose of an audit conducted under this Section and the enforcement of any franchise fee or service provider fee delinquent claim. All such information must be held in strict confidence by the municipality and its agents and may not be disclosed to the public under the Freedom of Information Act or under any other similar statutes allowing for or requiring public disclosure.

(f-5) All contracts by and between a municipality and a third party for the purposes of conducting an audit as contemplated in this Article shall be disclosed to the public under the Freedom of Information Act or under similar statutes allowing for or requiring public disclosure.

(g) For the purposes of this Section, "CATV operator" means a person or entity that provides cable and video services under a franchise agreement with a municipality pursuant to Section 11-42-11 of the Municipal Code and a holder authorized under Section 21-401 of the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007 as consistent with Section 21-901 of that Law.

(h) This Section does not apply to any action that was commenced, to any complaint that was filed, or to any audit that was commenced before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly. This Section also does not apply to any franchise agreement that was entered into before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly unless the franchise agreement contains audit provisions but no specifics regarding audit procedures.

(i) The provisions of this Section shall not be construed as diminishing or replacing any civil remedy available to a municipality, taxpayer, or tax collector.

(j) If a contingent fee is paid to an auditor, then the payment must be based upon the net difference of the complete audit.

(k) Within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, a municipality shall provide to any CATV operator a complete list of addresses within the corporate limits of the municipality and shall annually update the list.

(l) This Section is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

(m) This Section does not apply to any municipality having a population of more than 1,000,000.

(Source: P.A. 96-1422, eff. 8-3-10.)

Section 1-35. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing Sections 13-506.2, 13-703, 13-1200, 21-401, 21-801, 21-901, 21-1001, and 21-1601 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/13-506.2)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 13-506.2. Market regulation for competitive retail services.

(a) Definitions. As used in this Section:

(1) "Electing Provider" means a telecommunications carrier that is subject to either rate regulation pursuant to Section 13-504 or Section 13-505 or alternative regulation pursuant to Section 13-506.1 and that elects to have the rates, terms, and conditions of its competitive retail telecommunications services solely determined and regulated pursuant to the terms of this Article.

(2) "Basic local exchange service" means either a stand-alone residence network access line and per-call usage or, for any geographic area in which such stand-alone service is not offered, a stand-alone flat rate residence network access line for which local calls are not charged for frequency or duration. Extended Area Service shall be included in basic local exchange service.

(3) "Existing customer" means a residential customer who was subscribing to one of the optional packages described in subsection (d) of this Section as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly. A customer who was subscribing to one of the optional packages on that date but stops subscribing thereafter shall not be considered an "existing customer" as of the date the customer stopped subscribing to the optional package, unless the stoppage is temporary and caused by the customer changing service address locations, or unless the customer resumes subscribing and is eligible to receive discounts on monthly telephone service under the federal Lifeline program, 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E.

(4) "New customer" means a residential customer who was not subscribing to one of the optional packages described in subsection (d) of this Section as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly and who is eligible to receive discounts on monthly telephone service under the federal Lifeline program, 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E.

(b) Election for market regulation. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an Electing Provider may elect to have the rates, terms, and conditions of its competitive retail telecommunications services solely determined and regulated pursuant to the terms of this Section by filing written notice of its election for market regulation with the Commission. The notice of election shall designate the geographic area of the Electing Provider's service territory where the market regulation shall apply, either on a state-wide basis or in one or more specified Market Service Areas ("MSA") or Exchange areas. An Electing Provider shall not make an election for market regulation under this Section unless it commits in its written notice of election for market regulation to fulfill the conditions and requirements in this Section in each geographic area in which market regulation is elected. Immediately upon filing the notice of election for market regulation, the Electing Provider shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission to the extent expressly provided in this Section.

(c) Competitive classification. Market regulation shall be available for competitive retail telecommunications services as provided in this subsection.

(1) For geographic areas in which telecommunications services provided by the Electing Provider were classified as competitive either through legislative action or a tariff filing pursuant to Section 13-502 prior to January 1, 2010, and that are included in the Electing Provider's notice of election pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section, such services, and all recurring and nonrecurring charges associated with, related to or used in connection with such services, shall be classified as competitive without further Commission review. For services classified as competitive pursuant to this subsection, the requirements or conditions in any order or decision rendered by the Commission pursuant to Section 13-502 prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, except for the commitments made by the Electing Provider in such order or decision concerning the optional packages required in subsection (d) of this Section and basic local exchange service as defined in this Section, shall no longer be in effect and no Commission investigation, review, or proceeding under Section 13-502 shall be continued, conducted, or maintained with respect to such services, charges, requirements, or conditions. If an Electing Provider has ceased providing optional packages to customers pursuant to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, the commitments made by the Electing Provider in such order or decision concerning the optional packages under subsection (d) of this Section shall no longer be in effect and no Commission investigation, review, or proceeding under Section 13-502 shall be continued, conducted, or maintained with respect to such packages.

(2) For those geographic areas in which residential local exchange telecommunications services have not been classified as competitive as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, all telecommunications services provided to residential and business end users by an Electing Provider in the geographic area that is included in its notice of election pursuant to subsection (b) shall be classified as competitive for purposes of this Article without further Commission review.

(3) If an Electing Provider was previously subject to alternative regulation pursuant to Section 13-506.1 of this Article, the alternative regulation plan shall terminate in whole for all services subject to that plan and be of no force or effect, without further Commission review or action, when the Electing Provider's residential local exchange telecommunications service in each MSA in its telecommunications service area in the State has been classified as competitive pursuant to either subdivision (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this Section.

(4) The service packages described in Section 13-518 shall be classified as competitive for purposes of this Section if offered by an Electing Provider in a geographic area in which local exchange telecommunications service has been classified as competitive pursuant to either subdivision (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this Section.

(5) Where a service, or its functional equivalent, or a substitute service offered by a carrier that is not an Electing Provider or the incumbent local exchange carrier for that area is also being offered by an Electing Provider for some identifiable class or group of customers in an exchange, group of exchanges, or some other clearly defined geographical area, the service offered by a carrier that is not an Electing Provider or the incumbent local exchange carrier for that area shall be classified as competitive without further Commission review.

(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, retail telecommunications services classified as competitive pursuant to Section 13-502 or subdivision (c)(5) of this Section shall have their rates, terms, and conditions solely determined and regulated pursuant to the terms of this Section in the same manner and to the same extent as the competitive retail telecommunications services of an Electing Provider, except that subsections (d), (g), and (j) of this Section shall not apply to a carrier that is not an Electing Provider or to the competitive telecommunications services of a carrier that is not an Electing Provider. The access services of a carrier that is not an Electing Provider shall remain subject to Section 13-900.2. The requirements in subdivision (e)(3) of this Section shall not apply to retail telecommunications services classified as competitive pursuant to Section 13-502 or subdivision (c)(5) of this Section, except that, upon request from the Commission, the telecommunications carrier providing competitive retail telecommunications services shall provide a report showing the number of credits and exemptions for the requested time period.

(d) Consumer choice safe harbor options.

(1) Subject to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, an An Electing Provider in each of the MSA or Exchange areas classified as competitive pursuant to subdivision (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this Section shall offer to all residential customers who choose to subscribe the following optional packages of services priced at the same rate levels in effect on January 1, 2010:

(A) A basic package, which shall consist of a stand-alone residential network access line and 30 local calls. If the Electing Provider offers a stand-alone residential access line and local usage on a per call basis, the price for the basic package shall be the Electing Provider's applicable price in effect on January 1, 2010 for the sum of a residential access line and 30 local calls, additional calls over 30 calls shall be provided at the current per call rate. However, this basic package is not required if stand-alone residential network access lines or per-call local usage are not offered by the Electing Provider in the geographic area on January 1, 2010 or if the Electing Provider has not increased its stand-alone network access line and local usage rates, including Extended Area Service rates, since January 1, 2010.

(B) An extra package, which shall consist of residential basic local exchange network access line and unlimited local calls. The price for the extra package shall be the Electing Provider's applicable price in effect on January 1, 2010 for a residential access line with unlimited local calls.

(C) A plus package, which shall consist of residential basic local exchange network access line, unlimited local calls, and the customer's choice of 2 vertical services offered by the Electing Provider. The term "vertical services" as used in this subsection, includes, but is not limited to, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way calling, caller ID, call tracing, automatic callback, repeat dialing, and voicemail. The price for the plus package shall be the Electing Provider's applicable price in effect on January 1, 2010 for the sum of a residential access line with unlimited local calls and 2 times the average price for the vertical features included in the package.

(2) Subject to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, for For those geographic areas in which local exchange telecommunications services were classified as competitive on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, an Electing Provider in each such MSA or Exchange area shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as provided in commitments made by the Electing Provider in connection with such previous competitive classifications, which shall apply with equal force under this Section, except as follows: (i) the limits on price increases on the optional packages required by this Section shall be extended consistent with subsection (d)(1) of this Section and (ii) the price for the extra package required by subsection (d)(1)(B) shall be reduced by one dollar from the price in effect on January 1, 2010. In addition, if an Electing Provider obtains a competitive classification pursuant to subsection (c)(1) and (c)(2), the price for the optional packages shall be determined in such area in compliance with subsection (d)(1), except the price for the plus package required by subsection (d)(1) (C) shall be the lower of the price for such area or the price of the plus package in effect on January 1, 2010 for areas classified as competitive pursuant to subsection (c)(1).

(3) To the extent that the requirements in Section 13-518 applied to a telecommunications carrier prior to the effective date of this Section and that telecommunications carrier becomes an Electing Provider in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the requirements in Section 13-518 shall cease to apply to that Electing Provider in those geographic areas included in the Electing Provider's notice of election pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

(4) Subject to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, an An Electing Provider shall make the optional packages required by this subsection and stand-alone residential network access lines and local usage, where offered, readily available to the public by providing information, in a clear manner, to residential customers. Information shall be made available on a website, and an Electing Provider shall provide notification to its customers every 6 months, provided that notification may consist of a bill page message that provides an objective description of the safe harbor options that includes a telephone number and website address where the customer may obtain additional information about the packages from the Electing Provider. The optional packages shall be offered on a monthly basis with no term of service requirement. An Electing Provider shall allow online electronic ordering of the optional packages and stand-alone residential network access lines and local usage, where offered, on its website in a manner similar to the online electronic ordering of its other residential services.

(5) Subject to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, an An Electing Provider shall comply with the Commission's existing rules, regulations, and notices in Title 83, Part 735 of the Illinois Administrative Code when offering or providing the optional packages required by this subsection (d) and stand-alone residential network access lines.

(6) Subject to subdivision (d)(8) of this Section, an An Electing Provider shall provide to the Commission semi-annual subscribership reports as of June 30 and December 31 that contain the number of its customers subscribing to each of the consumer choice safe harbor packages required by subsection (d)(1) of this Section and the number of its customers subscribing to retail residential basic local exchange service as defined in subsection (a)(2) of this Section. The first semi-annual reports shall be made on April 1, 2011 for December 31, 2010, and on September 1, 2011 for June 30, 2011, and semi-annually on April 1 and September 1 thereafter. Such subscribership information shall be accorded confidential and proprietary treatment upon request by the Electing Provider.

(7) The Commission shall have the power, after notice and hearing as provided in this Article, upon complaint or upon its own motion, to take corrective action if the requirements of this Section are not complied with by an Electing Provider.

(8) On and after the effective date of this amendatory act of the 99th General Assembly, an Electing Provider shall continue to offer and provide the optional packages described in this subsection (d) to existing customers and new customers. On and after July 1, 2017, an Electing Provider may immediately stop offering the optional packages described in this subsection (d) and, upon providing two notices to affected customers and to the Commission, may stop providing the optional packages described in this subsection (d) to all customers who subscribe to one of the optional packages. The first notice shall be provided at least 90 days before the date upon which the Electing Provider intends to stop providing the optional packages, and the second notice must be provided at least 30 days before that date. The first notice shall not be provided prior to July 1, 2017. Each notice must identify the date on which the Electing Provider intends to stop providing the optional packages, at least one alternative service available to the customer, and a telephone number by which the customer may contact a service representative of the Electing Provider. After July 1, 2017 with respect to new customers, and upon the expiration of the second notice period with respect to customers who were subscribing to one of the optional packages, subdivisions (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(4), (d)(5), (d)(6), and (d)(7) of this Section shall not apply to the Electing Provider. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, an Electing Provider that has ceased providing the optional packages under this subdivision (d)(8) is not subject to Section 13-301(1)(c) of this Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, and subject to subdivision (d)(7) of this of this Section, the Commission's authority over the discontinuance of the optional packages described in this subsection (d) by an Electing Provider shall be governed solely by this subsection (d)(8).

(e) Service quality and customer credits for basic local exchange service.

(1) An Electing Provider shall meet the following service quality standards in providing basic local exchange service, which for purposes of this subsection (e), includes both basic local exchange service and any the consumer choice safe harbor options that may be required by subsection (d) of this Section.

(A) Install basic local exchange service within 5 business days after receipt of an order from the customer unless the customer requests an installation date that is beyond 5 business days after placing the order for basic service and to inform the customer of the Electing Provider's duty to install service within this timeframe. If installation of service is requested on or by a date more than 5 business days in the future, the Electing Provider shall install service by the date requested.

(B) Restore basic local exchange service for the customer within 30 hours after receiving notice that the customer is out of service.

(C) Keep all repair and installation appointments for basic local exchange service if a customer premises visit requires a customer to be present. The appointment window shall be either a specific time or, at a maximum, a 4-hour time block during evening, weekend, and normal business hours.

(D) Inform a customer when a repair or installation appointment requires the customer to be present.

(2) Customers shall be credited by the Electing Provider for violations of basic local exchange service quality standards described in subdivision (e)(1) of this Section. The credits shall be applied automatically on the statement issued to the customer for the next monthly billing cycle following the violation or following the discovery of the violation. The next monthly billing cycle following the violation or the discovery of the violation means the billing cycle immediately following the billing cycle in process at the time of the violation or discovery of the violation, provided the total time between the violation or discovery of the violation and the issuance of the credit shall not exceed 60 calendar days. The Electing Provider is responsible for providing the credits and the customer is under no obligation to request such credits. The following credits shall apply:

(A) If an Electing Provider fails to repair an out-of-service condition for basic local exchange service within 30 hours, the Electing Provider shall provide a credit to the customer. If the service disruption is for more than 30 hours, but not more than 48 hours, the credit must be equal to a pro-rata portion of the monthly recurring charges for all basic local exchange services disrupted. If the service disruption is for more than 48 hours, but not more than 72 hours, the credit must be equal to at least 33% of one month's recurring charges for all local services disrupted. If the service disruption is for more than 72 hours, but not more than 96 hours, the credit must be equal to at least 67% of one month's recurring charges for all basic local exchange services disrupted. If the service disruption is for more than 96 hours, but not more than 120 hours, the credit must be equal to one month's recurring charges for all basic local exchange services disrupted. For each day or portion thereof that the service disruption continues beyond the initial 120-hour period, the Electing Provider shall also provide an additional credit of $20 per calendar day.

(B) If an Electing Provider fails to install basic local exchange service as required under subdivision (e)(1) of this Section, the Electing Provider shall waive 50% of any installation charges, or in the absence of an installation charge or where installation is pursuant to the Link Up program, the Electing Provider shall provide a credit of $25. If an Electing Provider fails to install service within 10 business days after the service application is placed, or fails to install service within 5 business days after the customer's requested installation date, if the requested date was more than 5 business days after the date of the order, the Electing Provider shall waive 100% of the installation charge, or in the absence of an installation charge or where installation is provided pursuant to the Link Up program, the Electing Provider shall provide a credit of $50. For each day that the failure to install service continues beyond the initial 10 business days, or beyond 5 business days after the customer's requested installation date, if the requested date was more than 5 business days after the date of the order, the Electing Provider shall also provide an additional credit of $20 per calendar day until the basic local exchange service is installed.

(C) If an Electing Provider fails to keep a scheduled repair or installation appointment when a customer premises visit requires a customer to be present as required under subdivision (e)(1) of this Section, the Electing Provider shall credit the customer $25 per missed appointment. A credit required by this subdivision does not apply when the Electing Provider provides the customer notice of its inability to keep the appointment no later than 8:00 pm of the day prior to the scheduled date of the appointment.

(D) Credits required by this subsection do not apply if the violation of a service quality standard:

(i) occurs as a result of a negligent or willful act on the part of the customer;

(ii) occurs as a result of a malfunction of customer-owned telephone equipment or inside wiring;

(iii) occurs as a result of, or is extended by, an emergency situation as defined in 83 Ill. Adm. Code 732.10;

(iv) is extended by the Electing Provider's inability to gain access to the customer's premises due to the customer missing an appointment, provided that the violation is not further extended by the Electing Provider;

(v) occurs as a result of a customer request to change the scheduled appointment, provided that the violation is not further extended by the Electing Provider;

(vi) occurs as a result of an Electing Provider's right to refuse service to a customer as provided in Commission rules; or

(vii) occurs as a result of a lack of facilities where a customer requests service at a geographically remote location, where a customer requests service in a geographic area where the Electing Provider is not currently offering service, or where there are insufficient facilities to meet the customer's request for service, subject to an Electing Provider's obligation for reasonable facilities planning.

(3) Each Electing Provider shall provide to the Commission on a quarterly basis and in a form suitable for posting on the Commission's website in conformance with the rules adopted by the Commission and in effect on April 1, 2010, a public report that includes the following data for basic local exchange service quality of service:

(A) With regard to credits due in accordance with subdivision (e)(2)(A) as a result of out-of-service conditions lasting more than 30 hours:

(i) the total dollar amount of any customer credits paid;

(ii) the number of credits issued for repairs between 30 and 48 hours;

(iii) the number of credits issued for repairs between 49 and 72 hours;

(iv) the number of credits issued for repairs between 73 and 96 hours;

(v) the number of credits used for repairs between 97 and 120 hours;

(vi) the number of credits issued for repairs greater than 120 hours; and

(vii) the number of exemptions claimed for each of the categories identified in subdivision (e)(2)(D).

(B) With regard to credits due in accordance with subdivision (e)(2)(B) as a result of failure to install basic local exchange service:

(i) the total dollar amount of any customer credits paid;

(ii) the number of installations after 5 business days;

(iii) the number of installations after 10 business days;

(iv) the number of installations after 11 business days; and

(v) the number of exemptions claimed for each of the categories identified in subdivision (e)(2)(D).

(C) With regard to credits due in accordance with subdivision (e)(2)(C) as a result of missed appointments:

(i) the total dollar amount of any customer credits paid;

(ii) the number of any customers receiving credits; and

(iii) the number of exemptions claimed for each of the categories identified in subdivision (e)(2)(D).

(D) The Electing Provider's annual report required by this subsection shall also include, for informational reporting, the performance data described in subdivisions (e)(2)(A), (e)(2)(B), and (e)(2)(C), and trouble reports per 100 access lines calculated using the Commission's existing applicable rules and regulations for such measures, including the requirements for service standards established in this Section.

(4) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the service quality rules and customer credits in this subsection (e) of this Section and other enforcement mechanisms, including fines and penalties authorized by Section 13-305, shall apply on a nondiscriminatory basis to all Electing Providers. Accordingly, notwithstanding any provision of any service quality rules promulgated by the Commission, any alternative regulation plan adopted by the Commission, or any other order of the Commission, any Electing Provider that is subject to any other order of the Commission and that violates or fails to comply with the service quality standards promulgated pursuant to this subsection (e) or any other order of the Commission shall not be subject to any fines, penalties, customer credits, or enforcement mechanisms other than such fines or penalties or customer credits as may be imposed by the Commission in accordance with the provisions of this subsection (e) and Section 13-305, which are to be generally applicable to all Electing Providers. The amount of any fines or penalties imposed by the Commission for failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection (e) shall be an appropriate amount, taking into account, at a minimum, the Electing Provider's gross annual intrastate revenue; the frequency, duration, and recurrence of the violation; and the relative harm caused to the affected customers or other users of the network. In imposing fines and penalties, the Commission shall take into account compensation or credits paid by the Electing Provider to its customers pursuant to this subsection (e) in compensation for any violation found pursuant to this subsection (e), and in any event the fine or penalty shall not exceed an amount equal to the maximum amount of a civil penalty that may be imposed under Section 13-305.

(5) An Electing Provider in each of the MSA or Exchange areas classified as competitive pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section shall fulfill the requirements in subdivision (e)(3) of this Section for 3 years after its notice of election becomes effective. After such 3 years, the requirements in subdivision (e)(3) of this Section shall not apply to such Electing Provider, except that, upon request from the Commission, the Electing Provider shall provide a report showing the number of credits and exemptions for the requested time period.

(f) Commission jurisdiction over competitive retail telecommunications services. Except as otherwise expressly stated in this Section, the Commission shall thereafter have no jurisdiction or authority over any aspect of competitive retail telecommunications service of an Electing Provider in those geographic areas included in the Electing Provider's notice of election pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section or of a retail telecommunications service classified as competitive pursuant to Section 13-502 or subdivision (c)(5) of this Section, heretofore subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, including but not limited to, any requirements of this Article related to the terms, conditions, rates, quality of service, availability, classification or any other aspect of any competitive retail telecommunications services. No telecommunications carrier shall commit any unfair or deceptive act or practice in connection with any aspect of the offering or provision of any competitive retail telecommunications service. Nothing in this Article shall limit or affect any provisions in the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act with respect to any unfair or deceptive act or practice by a telecommunications carrier.

(g) Commission authority over access services upon election for market regulation.

(1) As part of its Notice of Election for Market Regulation, the Electing Provider shall reduce its intrastate switched access rates to rates no higher than its interstate switched access rates in 4 installments. The first reduction must be made 30 days after submission of its complete application for Notice of Election for Market Regulation, and the Electing Provider must reduce its intrastate switched access rates by an amount equal to 33% of the difference between its current intrastate switched access rates and its current interstate switched access rates. The second reduction must be made no later than one year after the first reduction, and the Electing Provider must reduce its then current intrastate switched access rates by an amount equal to 41% of the difference between its then current intrastate switched access rates and its then current interstate switched access rates. The third reduction must be made no later than one year after the second reduction, and the Electing Provider must reduce its then current intrastate switched access rates by an amount equal to 50% of the difference between its then current intrastate switched access rate and its then current interstate switched access rates. The fourth reduction must be made on or before June 30, 2013, and the Electing Provider must reduce its intrastate switched access rate to mirror its then current interstate switched access rates and rate structure. Following the fourth reduction, each Electing Provider must continue to set its intrastate switched access rates to mirror its interstate switched access rates and rate structure. For purposes of this subsection, the rate for intrastate switched access service means the composite, per-minute rate for that service, including all applicable fixed and traffic-sensitive charges, including, but not limited to, carrier common line charges.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) of this subsection (g) prohibits an Electing Provider from electing to offer intrastate switched access service at rates lower than its interstate switched access rates.

(3) The Commission shall have no authority to order an Electing Provider to set its rates for intrastate switched access at a level lower than its interstate switched access rates.

(4) The Commission's authority under this subsection (g) shall only apply to Electing Providers under Market Regulation. The Commission's authority over switched access services for all other carriers is retained under Section 13-900.2 of this Act.

(h) Safety of service equipment and facilities.

(1) An Electing Provider shall furnish, provide, and maintain such service instrumentalities, equipment, and facilities as shall promote the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of its patrons, employees, and public and as shall be in all respects adequate, reliable, and efficient without discrimination or delay. Every Electing Provider shall provide service and facilities that are in all respects environmentally safe.

(2) The Commission is authorized to conduct an investigation of any Electing Provider or part thereof. The investigation may examine the reasonableness, prudence, or efficiency of any aspect of the Electing Provider's operations or functions that may affect the adequacy, safety, efficiency, or reliability of telecommunications service. The Commission may conduct or order an investigation only when it has reasonable grounds to believe that the investigation is necessary to assure that the Electing Provider is providing adequate, efficient, reliable, and safe service. The Commission shall, before initiating any such investigation, issue an order describing the grounds for the investigation and the appropriate scope and nature of the investigation, which shall be reasonably related to the grounds relied upon by the Commission in its order.

(i) (Blank).

(j) Application of Article VII. The provisions of Sections 7-101, 7-102, 7-104, 7-204, 7-205, and 7-206 of this Act are applicable to an Electing Provider offering or providing retail telecommunications service, and the Commission's regulation thereof, except that (1) the approval of contracts and arrangements with affiliated interests required by paragraph (3) of Section 7-101 shall not apply to such telecommunications carriers provided that, except as provided in item (2), those contracts and arrangements shall be filed with the Commission; (2) affiliated interest contracts or arrangements entered into by such telecommunications carriers where the increased obligation thereunder does not exceed the lesser of $5,000,000 or 5% of such carrier's prior annual revenue from noncompetitive services are not required to be filed with the Commission; and (3) any consent and approval of the Commission required by Section 7-102 is not required for the sale, lease, assignment, or transfer by any Electing Provider of any property that is not necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public.

(k) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Section, the Commission retains its existing authority to enforce the provisions, conditions, and requirements of the following Sections of this Article: 13-101, 13-103, 13-201, 13-301, 13-301.1, 13-301.2, 13-301.3, 13-303, 13-303.5, 13-304, 13-305, 13-401, 13-401.1, 13-402, 13-403, 13-404, 13-404.1, 13-404.2, 13-405, 13-406, 13-407, 13-501, 13-501.5, 13-503, 13-505, 13-509, 13-510, 13-512, 13-513, 13-514, 13-515, 13-516, 13-519, 13-702, 13-703, 13-704, 13-705, 13-706, 13-707, 13-709, 13-713, 13-801, 13-802.1, 13-804, 13-900, 13-900.1, 13-900.2, 13-901, 13-902, and 13-903, which are fully and equally applicable to Electing Providers and to telecommunications carriers providing retail telecommunications service classified as competitive pursuant to Section 13-502 or subdivision (c)(5) of this Section subject to the provisions of this Section. On the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the following Sections of this Article shall cease to apply to Electing Providers and to telecommunications carriers providing retail telecommunications service classified as competitive pursuant to Section 13-502 or subdivision (c)(5) of this Section: 13-302, 13-405.1, 13-502, 13-502.5, 13-504, 13-505.2, 13-505.3, 13-505.4, 13-505.5, 13-505.6, 13-506.1, 13-507, 13-507.1, 13-508, 13-508.1, 13-517, 13-518, 13-601, 13-701, and 13-712.

(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)

(220 ILCS 5/13-703) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-703)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 13-703. (a) The Commission shall design and implement a program whereby each telecommunications carrier providing local exchange service shall provide a telecommunications device capable of servicing the needs of those persons with a hearing or speech disability together with a single party line, at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate, to any subscriber who is certified as having a hearing or speech disability by a licensed physician, speech-language pathologist, audiologist or a qualified State agency and to any subscriber which is an organization serving the needs of those persons with a hearing or speech disability as determined and specified by the Commission pursuant to subsection (d).

(b) The Commission shall design and implement a program, whereby each telecommunications carrier providing local exchange service shall provide a telecommunications relay system, using third party intervention to connect those persons having a hearing or speech disability with persons of normal hearing by way of intercommunications devices and the telephone system, making available reasonable access to all phases of public telephone service to persons who have a hearing or speech disability. In order to design a telecommunications relay system which will meet the requirements of those persons with a hearing or speech disability available at a reasonable cost, the Commission shall initiate an investigation and conduct public hearings to determine the most cost-effective method of providing telecommunications relay service to those persons who have a hearing or speech disability when using telecommunications devices and therein solicit the advice, counsel, and physical assistance of Statewide nonprofit consumer organizations that serve persons with hearing or speech disabilities in such hearings and during the development and implementation of the system. The Commission shall phase in this program, on a geographical basis, as soon as is practicable, but no later than June 30, 1990.

(c) The Commission shall establish a competitively neutral rate recovery mechanism that establishes , authorizing charges in an amount to be determined by the Commission for each line of a subscriber to allow telecommunications carriers providing local exchange service to recover costs as they are incurred under this Section. Beginning no later than April 1, 2016, and on a yearly basis thereafter, the Commission shall initiate a proceeding to establish the amount to be charged or assessed to subscribers of telecommunications carriers and wireless carriers, Interconnected VoIP service providers and purchasers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service in a manner consistent with this subsection (c) and subsection (f) of this Section. The Commission shall issue its order establishing the amount to be charged or assessed to subscribers of telecommunications carriers and wireless carriers, Interconnected VoIP service providers and purchasers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service on or prior to June 1 of each year, and such amount shall take effect June 1 of each year.

(d) The Commission shall determine and specify those organizations serving the needs of those persons having a hearing or speech disability that shall receive a telecommunications device and in which offices the equipment shall be installed in the case of an organization having more than one office. For the purposes of this Section, "organizations serving the needs of those persons with hearing or speech disabilities" means centers for independent living as described in Section 12a of the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act and not-for-profit organizations whose primary purpose is serving the needs of those persons with hearing or speech disabilities. The Commission shall direct the telecommunications carriers subject to its jurisdiction and this Section to comply with its determinations and specifications in this regard.

(e) As used in this Section:

"Prepaid wireless telecommunications service" has the meaning given to that term under Section 10 of the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act.

"Retail transaction" has the meaning given to that term under Section 10 of the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act.

"Telecommunications , the phrase "telecommunications carrier providing local exchange service" includes, without otherwise limiting the meaning of the term, telecommunications carriers which are purely mutual concerns, having no rates or charges for services, but paying the operating expenses by assessment upon the members of such a company and no other person.

"Wireless carrier" has the meaning given to that term under Section 10 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act.

(f) Interconnected VoIP service providers, sellers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service, and wireless carriers in Illinois shall collect and remit assessments determined in accordance with this Section in a competitively neutral manner in the same manner as a telecommunications carrier providing local exchange service. However, the assessment imposed on consumers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service shall be imposed per retail transaction as a percentage of that retail transaction on all retail transactions occurring in this State. The assessment on subscribers of wireless carriers and consumers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service providers shall not be imposed or collected prior to June 1, 2016.

Sellers of prepaid wireless telecommunications service shall remit the assessments to the Department of Revenue on the same form and in the same manner which they remit the fee collected under the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act. For the purposes of display on the consumers' receipts, the rates of the fee collected under the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act and the assessment under this Section may be combined. In administration and enforcement of this Section, the provisions of Sections 15 and 20 of the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act (except subsections (a), (a-5), (b-5), (e), and (e-5) of Section 15 and subsections (c) and (e) of Section 20 of the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act and, from the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, the seller shall be permitted to deduct and retain 3% of the assessments that are collected by the seller from consumers and that are remitted and timely filed with the Department) that are not inconsistent with this Section, shall apply, as far as practicable, to the subject matter of this Section to the same extent as if those provisions were included in this Section. The Department shall deposit all assessments and penalties collected under this Section into the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. On or before the 25th day of each calendar month, the Department shall prepare and certify to the Comptroller the amount available to the Commission for distribution out of the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund. The amount certified shall be the amount (not including credit memoranda) collected during the second preceding calendar month by the Department, plus an amount the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were erroneously paid to a different taxing body or fund. The amount paid to the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund shall not include any amount equal to the amount of refunds made during the second preceding calendar month by the Department to retailers under this Section or any amount that the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were payable to a different taxing body or fund but were erroneously paid to the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund. The Commission shall distribute all the funds to the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation and the funds may only be used in accordance with the provisions of this Section. The Department shall deduct 2% of all amounts deposited in the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation Fund during every year of remitted assessments. Of the 2% deducted by the Department, one-half shall be transferred into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund to reimburse the Department for its direct costs of administering the collection and remittance of the assessment. The remaining one-half shall be transferred into the Public Utilities Fund to reimburse the Commission for its costs of distributing to the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation the amount certified by the Department for distribution.

Interconnected VoIP services shall not be considered an intrastate telecommunications service for the purposes of this Section in a manner inconsistent with federal law or Federal Communications Commission regulation.

(g) The provisions of this Section are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

(h) The Commission may adopt rules necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 96-927, eff. 6-15-10.)

(220 ILCS 5/13-1200)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 13-1200. Repealer. This Article is repealed July 1, 2017 2015.

(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)

(220 ILCS 5/21-401)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 21-401. Applications.

(a)(1) A person or entity seeking to provide cable service or video service pursuant to this Article shall not use the public rights-of-way for the installation or construction of facilities for the provision of cable service or video service or offer cable service or video service until it has obtained a State-issued authorization to offer or provide cable or video service under this Section, except as provided for in item (2) of this subsection (a). All cable or video providers offering or providing service in this State shall have authorization pursuant to either (i) the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007 (220 ILCS 5/21-100 et seq.); (ii) Section 11-42-11 of the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-42-11); or (iii) Section 5-1095 of the Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/5-1095).

(2) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a local unit of government from granting a permit to a person or entity for the use of the public rights-of-way to install or construct facilities to provide cable service or video service, at its sole discretion. No unit of local government shall be liable for denial or delay of a permit prior to the issuance of a State-issued authorization.

(b) The application to the Commission for State-issued authorization shall contain a completed affidavit submitted by the applicant and signed by an officer or general partner of the applicant affirming all of the following:

(1) That the applicant has filed or will timely file with the Federal Communications Commission all forms required by that agency in advance of offering cable service or video service in this State.

(2) That the applicant agrees to comply with all applicable federal and State statutes and regulations.

(3) That the applicant agrees to comply with all applicable local unit of government regulations.

(4) An exact description of the cable service or video service area where the cable service or video service will be offered during the term of the State-issued authorization. The service area shall be identified in terms of either (i) exchanges, as that term is defined in Section 13-206 of this Act; (ii) a collection of United States Census Bureau Block numbers (13 digit); (iii) if the area is smaller than the areas identified in either (i) or (ii), by geographic information system digital boundaries meeting or exceeding national map accuracy standards; or (iv) local unit of government. The description shall include the number of low-income households within the service area or footprint. If an applicant is an incumbent cable operator, the incumbent cable operator and any successor-in-interest shall be obligated to provide access to cable services or video services within any local units of government at the same levels required by the local franchising authorities for the local unit of government on June 30, 2007 (the effective date of Public Act 95-9), and its application shall provide a description of an area no smaller than the service areas contained in its franchise or franchises within the jurisdiction of the local unit of government in which it seeks to offer cable or video service.

(5) The location and telephone number of the applicant's principal place of business within this State and the names of the applicant's principal executive officers who are responsible for communications concerning the application and the services to be offered pursuant to the application, the applicant's legal name, and any name or names under which the applicant does or will provide cable services or video services in this State.

(6) A certification that the applicant has concurrently delivered a copy of the application to all local units of government that include all or any part of the service area identified in item (4) of this subsection (b) within such local unit of government's jurisdictional boundaries.

(7) The expected date that cable service or video service will be initially offered in the area identified in item (4) of this subsection (b). In the event that a holder does not offer cable services or video services within 3 months after the expected date, it shall amend its application and update the expected date service will be offered and explain the delay in offering cable services or video services.

(8) For any entity that received State-issued authorization prior to this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly as a cable operator and that intends to proceed as a cable operator under this Article, the entity shall file a written affidavit with the Commission and shall serve a copy of the affidavit with any local units of government affected by the authorization within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly stating that the holder will be providing cable service under the State-issued authorization.

The application shall include adequate assurance that the applicant possesses the financial, managerial, legal, and technical qualifications necessary to construct and operate the proposed system, to promptly repair any damage to the public right-of-way caused by the applicant, and to pay the cost of removal of its facilities. To accomplish these requirements, the applicant may, at the time the applicant seeks to use the public rights-of-way in that jurisdiction, be required by the State of Illinois or later be required by the local unit of government, or both, to post a bond, produce a certificate of insurance, or otherwise demonstrate its financial responsibility.

The application shall include the applicant's general standards related to customer service required by Section 22-501 of this Act, which shall include, but not be limited to, installation, disconnection, service and repair obligations; appointment hours; employee ID requirements; customer service telephone numbers and hours; procedures for billing, charges, deposits, refunds, and credits; procedures for termination of service; notice of deletion of programming service and changes related to transmission of programming or changes or increases in rates; use and availability of parental control or lock-out devices; complaint procedures and procedures for bill dispute resolution and a description of the rights and remedies available to consumers if the holder does not materially meet their customer service standards; and special services for customers with visual, hearing, or mobility disabilities.

(c)(1) The applicant may designate information that it submits in its application or subsequent reports as confidential or proprietary, provided that the applicant states the reasons the confidential designation is necessary. The Commission shall provide adequate protection for such information pursuant to Section 4-404 of this Act. If the Commission, a local unit of government, or any other party seeks public disclosure of information designated as confidential, the Commission shall consider the confidential designation in a proceeding under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, and the burden of proof to demonstrate that the designated information is confidential shall be upon the applicant. Designated information shall remain confidential pending the Commission's determination of whether the information is entitled to confidential treatment. Information designated as confidential shall be provided to local units of government for purposes of assessing compliance with this Article as permitted under a Protective Order issued by the Commission pursuant to the Commission's rules and to the Attorney General pursuant to Section 6.5 of the Attorney General Act (15 ILCS 205/6.5). Information designated as confidential under this Section or determined to be confidential upon Commission review shall only be disclosed pursuant to a valid and enforceable subpoena or court order or as required by the Freedom of Information Act. Nothing herein shall delay the application approval timeframes set forth in this Article.

(2) Information regarding the location of video services that have been or are being offered to the public and aggregate information included in the reports required by this Article shall not be designated or treated as confidential.

(d)(1) The Commission shall post all applications it receives under this Article on its web site within 5 business days.

(2) The Commission shall notify an applicant for a cable service or video service authorization whether the applicant's application and affidavit are complete on or before the 15th business day after the applicant submits the application. If the application and affidavit are not complete, the Commission shall state in its notice all of the reasons the application or affidavit are incomplete, and the applicant shall resubmit a complete application. The Commission shall have 30 days after submission by the applicant of a complete application and affidavit to issue the service authorization. If the Commission does not notify the applicant regarding the completeness of the application and affidavit or issue the service authorization within the time periods required under this subsection, the application and affidavit shall be considered complete and the service authorization issued upon the expiration of the 30th day.

(e) Any authorization issued by the Commission will expire on December 31, 2020 2015 and shall contain or include all of the following:

(1) A grant of authority, including an authorization issued prior to this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, to provide cable service or video service in the service area footprint as requested in the application, subject to the provisions of this Article in existence on the date the grant of authority was issued, and any modifications to this Article enacted at any time prior to the date in Section 21-1601 of this Act, and to the laws of the State and the ordinances, rules, and regulations of the local units of government.

(2) A grant of authority to use, occupy, and construct facilities in the public rights-of-way for the delivery of cable service or video service in the service area footprint, subject to the laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations of this State and local units of governments.

(3) A statement that the grant of authority is subject to lawful operation of the cable service or video service by the applicant, its affiliated entities, or its successors-in-interest.

(e-5) (4) The Commission shall notify a local unit of government within 3 business days of the grant of any authorization within a service area footprint if that authorization includes any part of the local unit of government's jurisdictional boundaries and state whether the holder will be providing video service or cable service under the authorization.

(f) The authorization issued pursuant to this Section by the Commission may be transferred to any successor-in-interest to the applicant to which it is initially granted without further Commission action if the successor-in-interest (i) submits an application and the information required by subsection (b) of this Section for the successor-in-interest and (ii) is not in violation of this Article or of any federal, State, or local law, ordinance, rule, or regulation. A successor-in-interest shall file its application and notice of transfer with the Commission and the relevant local units of government no less than 15 business days prior to the completion of the transfer. The Commission is not required or authorized to act upon the notice of transfer; however, the transfer is not effective until the Commission approves the successor-in-interest's application. A local unit of government or the Attorney General may seek to bar a transfer of ownership by filing suit in a court of competent jurisdiction predicated on the existence of a material and continuing breach of this Article by the holder, a pattern of noncompliance with customer service standards by the potential successor-in-interest, or the insolvency of the potential successor-in-interest. If a transfer is made when there are violations of this Article or of any federal, State, or local law, ordinance, rule, or regulation, the successor-in-interest shall be subject to 3 times the penalties provided for in this Article.

(g) The authorization issued pursuant to this Section 21-401 of this Article by the Commission may be terminated, or its cable service or video service area footprint may be modified, by the cable service provider or video service provider by submitting notice to the Commission and to the relevant local unit of government containing a description of the change on the same terms as the initial description pursuant to item (4) of subsection (b) of this Section. The Commission is not required or authorized to act upon that notice. It shall be a violation of this Article for a holder to discriminate against potential residential subscribers because of the race or income of the residents in the local area in which the group resides by terminating or modifying its cable service or video service area footprint. It shall be a violation of this Article for a holder to terminate or modify its cable service or video service area footprint if it leaves an area with no cable service or video service from any provider.

(h) The Commission's authority to administer this Article is limited to the powers and duties explicitly provided under this Article. Its authority under this Article does not include or limit the powers and duties that the Commission has under the other Articles of this Act, the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law or regulation to conduct proceedings, other than as provided in subsection (c), or has to promulgate rules or regulations. The Commission shall not have the authority to limit or expand the obligations and requirements provided in this Section or to regulate or control a person or entity to the extent that person or entity is providing cable service or video service, except as provided in this Article.

(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)

(220 ILCS 5/21-801)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 21-801. Applicable fees payable to the local unit of government.

(a) Prior to offering cable service or video service in a local unit of government's jurisdiction, a holder shall notify the local unit of government. The notice shall be given to the local unit of government at least 10 days before the holder begins to offer cable service or video service within the boundaries of that local unit of government.

(b) In any local unit of government in which a holder offers cable service or video service on a commercial basis, the holder shall be liable for and pay the service provider fee to the local unit of government. The local unit of government shall adopt an ordinance imposing such a fee. The holder's liability for the fee shall commence on the first day of the calendar month that is at least 30 days after the adoption of holder receives such ordinance. The ordinance shall be sent by mail, postage prepaid, to the address listed on the holder's application provided to the local unit of government pursuant to item (6) of subsection (b) of Section 21-401 of this Act. The fee authorized by this Section shall be 5% of gross revenues or the same as the fee paid to the local unit of government by any incumbent cable operator providing cable service. The payment of the service provider fee shall be due on a quarterly basis, 45 days after the close of the calendar quarter. If mailed, the fee is considered paid on the date it is postmarked. Except as provided in this Article, the local unit of government may not demand any additional fees or charges from the holder and may not demand the use of any other calculation method other than allowed under this Article.

(c) For purposes of this Article, "gross revenues" means all consideration of any kind or nature, including, without limitation, cash, credits, property, and in-kind contributions received by the holder for the operation of a cable or video system to provide cable service or video service within the holder's cable service or video service area within the local unit of government's jurisdiction.

(1) Gross revenues shall include the following:

(i) Recurring charges for cable service or video service.

(ii) Event-based charges for cable service or video service, including, but not limited to, pay-per-view and video-on-demand charges.

(iii) Rental of set-top boxes and other cable service or video service equipment.

(iv) Service charges related to the provision of cable service or video service, including, but not limited to, activation, installation, and repair charges.

(v) Administrative charges related to the provision of cable service or video service, including but not limited to service order and service termination charges.

(vi) Late payment fees or charges, insufficient funds check charges, and other charges assessed to recover the costs of collecting delinquent payments.

(vii) A pro rata portion of all revenue derived by the holder or its affiliates pursuant to compensation arrangements for advertising or for promotion or exhibition of any products or services derived from the operation of the holder's network to provide cable service or video service within the local unit of government's jurisdiction. The allocation shall be based on the number of subscribers in the local unit of government divided by the total number of subscribers in relation to the relevant regional or national compensation arrangement.

(viii) Compensation received by the holder that is derived from the operation of the holder's network to provide cable service or video service with respect to commissions that are received by the holder as compensation for promotion or exhibition of any products or services on the holder's network, such as a "home shopping" or similar channel, subject to item (ix) of this paragraph (1).

(ix) In the case of a cable service or video service that is bundled or integrated functionally with other services, capabilities, or applications, the portion of the holder's revenue attributable to the other services, capabilities, or applications shall be included in gross revenue unless the holder can reasonably identify the division or exclusion of the revenue from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business.

(x) The service provider fee permitted by subsection (b) of this Section.

(2) Gross revenues do not include any of the following:

(i) Revenues not actually received, even if billed, such as bad debt, subject to item (vi) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c).

(ii) Refunds, discounts, or other price adjustments that reduce the amount of gross revenues received by the holder of the State-issued authorization to the extent the refund, rebate, credit, or discount is attributable to cable service or video service.

(iii) Regardless of whether the services are bundled, packaged, or functionally integrated with cable service or video service, any revenues received from services not classified as cable service or video service, including, without limitation, revenue received from telecommunications services, information services, or the provision of directory or Internet advertising, including yellow pages, white pages, banner advertisement, and electronic publishing, or any other revenues attributed by the holder to noncable service or nonvideo service in accordance with the holder's books and records and records kept in the regular course of business and any applicable laws, rules, regulations, standards, or orders.

(iv) The sale of cable services or video services for resale in which the purchaser is required to collect the service provider fee from the purchaser's subscribers to the extent the purchaser certifies in writing that it will resell the service within the local unit of government's jurisdiction and pay the fee permitted by subsection (b) of this Section with respect to the service.

(v) Any tax or fee of general applicability imposed upon the subscribers or the transaction by a city, State, federal, or any other governmental entity and collected by the holder of the State-issued authorization and required to be remitted to the taxing entity, including sales and use taxes.

(vi) Security deposits collected from subscribers.

(vii) Amounts paid by subscribers to "home shopping" or similar vendors for merchandise sold through any home shopping channel offered as part of the cable service or video service.

(3) Revenue of an affiliate of a holder shall be included in the calculation of gross revenues to the extent the treatment of the revenue as revenue of the affiliate rather than the holder has the effect of evading the payment of the fee permitted by subsection (b) of this Section which would otherwise be paid by the cable service or video service.

(d)(1) Except for a holder providing cable service that is subject to the fee in subsection (i) of this Section, the holder shall pay to the local unit of government or the entity designated by that local unit of government to manage public, education, and government access, upon request as support for public, education, and government access, a fee equal to no less than (i) 1% of gross revenues or (ii) if greater, the percentage of gross revenues that incumbent cable operators pay to the local unit of government or its designee for public, education, and government access support in the local unit of government's jurisdiction. For purposes of item (ii) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d), the percentage of gross revenues that all incumbent cable operators pay shall be equal to the annual sum of the payments that incumbent cable operators in the service area are obligated to pay by franchises and agreements or by contracts with the local government designee for public, education and government access in effect on January 1, 2007, including the total of any lump sum payments required to be made over the term of each franchise or agreement divided by the number of years of the applicable term, divided by the annual sum of such incumbent cable operator's or operators' gross revenues during the immediately prior calendar year. The sum of payments includes any payments that an incumbent cable operator is required to pay pursuant to item (3) of subsection (c) of Section 21-301.

(2) A local unit of government may require all holders of a State-issued authorization and all cable operators franchised by that local unit of government on June 30, 2007 (the effective date of this Section) in the franchise area to provide to the local unit of government, or to the entity designated by that local unit of government to manage public, education, and government access, information sufficient to calculate the public, education, and government access equivalent fee and any credits under paragraph (1) of this subsection (d).

(3) The fee shall be due on a quarterly basis and paid 45 days after the close of the calendar quarter. Each payment shall include a statement explaining the basis for the calculation of the fee. If mailed, the fee is considered paid on the date it is postmarked. The liability of the holder for payment of the fee under this subsection shall commence on the same date as the payment of the service provider fee pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

(e) The holder may identify and collect the amount of the service provider fee as a separate line item on the regular bill of each subscriber.

(f) The holder may identify and collect the amount of the public, education, and government programming support fee as a separate line item on the regular bill of each subscriber.

(g) All determinations and computations under this Section shall be made pursuant to the definition of gross revenues set forth in this Section and shall be made pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles.

(h) Nothing contained in this Article shall be construed to exempt a holder from any tax that is or may later be imposed by the local unit of government, including any tax that is or may later be required to be paid by or through the holder with respect to cable service or video service. A State-issued authorization shall not affect any requirement of the holder with respect to payment of the local unit of government's simplified municipal telecommunications tax or any other tax as it applies to any telephone service provided by the holder. A State-issued authorization shall not affect any requirement of the holder with respect to payment of the local unit of government's 911 or E911 fees, taxes, or charges.

(i) Except for a municipality having a population of 2,000,000 or more, the fee imposed under paragraph (1) of subsection (d) by a local unit of government against a holder who is a cable operator shall be as follows:

(1) the fee shall be collected and paid only for capital costs that are considered lawful under Subchapter VI of the federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and as implemented by the Federal Communications Commission;

(2) the local unit of government shall impose any fee by ordinance; and

(3) the fee may not exceed 1% of gross revenue; if, however, on the date that an incumbent cable operator files an application under Section 21-401, the incumbent cable operator is operating under a franchise agreement that imposes a fee for support for capital costs for public, education, and government access facilities obligations in excess of 1% of gross revenue, then the cable operator shall continue to provide support for capital costs for public, education, and government access facilities obligations at the rate stated in such agreement.

(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)

(220 ILCS 5/21-901)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 21-901. Audits.

(a) A holder that has received State-issued authorization under this Article is subject to an audit of its service provider fees derived from the provision of cable or video services to subscribers within any part of the local unit of government which is located in the holder's service territory. Any such audit shall be conducted by the local unit of government or its agent for the sole purpose of determining any overpayment or underpayment of the holder's service provider fee to the local unit of government. Upon receiving notice under item (4) of subsection (e) of Section 21-401 of this Act that a holder has received State-issued authorization under this Article, a local unit of government shall notify the holder of the requirements it imposes on other cable service or video service providers in its jurisdiction to submit to an audit of its books and records. The holder shall comply with the same requirements the local unit of government imposes on other cable service or video service providers in its jurisdiction to audit the holder's books and records and to recompute any amounts determined to be payable under the requirements of the local unit of government. If all local franchises between the local unit of government and a cable operator terminate, the audit requirements shall be those adopted by the local government pursuant to the Local Government Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act. No acceptance of amounts remitted should be construed as an accord that the amounts are correct.

(b) Beginning on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, any audit conducted pursuant to this Section by a local government shall be governed by Section 11-42-11.05 of the Illinois Municipal Code or Section 5-1095.1 of the Counties Code. Any additional amount due after an audit shall be paid within 30 days after the local unit of government's submission of an invoice for the sum.

(Source: P.A. 95-9, eff. 6-30-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

(220 ILCS 5/21-1001)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2015)

Sec. 21-1001. Local unit of government authority.

(a) The holder of a State-issued authorization shall comply with all the applicable construction and technical standards and right-of-way occupancy standards set forth in a local unit of government's code of ordinances relating to the use of public rights-of-way, pole attachments, permit obligations, indemnification, performance bonds, penalties, or liquidated damages. The applicable requirements for a holder that is using its existing telecommunications network or constructing a telecommunications network shall be the same requirements that the local unit of government imposes on telecommunications providers in its jurisdiction. The applicable requirements for a holder that is using or constructing a cable system shall be the same requirements the local unit of government imposes on other cable operators in its jurisdiction.

(b) A local unit of government shall allow the holder to install, construct, operate, maintain, and remove a cable service, video service, or telecommunications network within a public right-of-way and shall provide the holder with open, comparable, nondiscriminatory, and competitively neutral access to the public right-of-way on the same terms applicable to other cable service or video service providers or cable operators in its jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, if a local unit of government is permitted by law to require the holder of a State authorization to seek a permit to install, construct, operate, maintain, or remove its cable service, video service, or telecommunications network within a public right-of-way, those permits shall be deemed granted within 45 days after being submitted, if not otherwise acted upon by the local unit of government, provided the holder complies with the requirements applicable to the holder in its jurisdiction.

(c) A local unit of government may impose reasonable terms, but it may not discriminate against the holder with respect to any of the following:

(1) The authorization or placement of a cable service, video service, or telecommunications network or equipment in public rights-of-way.

(2) Access to a building.

(3) A local unit of government utility pole attachment.

(d) If a local unit of government imposes a permit fee on incumbent cable operators, it may impose a permit fee on the holder only to the extent it imposes such a fee on incumbent cable operators. In all other cases, these fees may not exceed the actual, direct costs incurred by the local unit of government for issuing the relevant permit. In no event may a fee under this Section be levied if the holder already has paid a permit fee of any kind in connection with the same activity that would otherwise be covered by the permit fee under this Section provided no additional equipment, work, function, or other burden is added to the existing activity for which the permit was issued.

(e) Nothing in this Article shall affect the rights that any holder has under Section 4 of the Telephone Line Right of Way Act (220 ILCS 65/4).

(f) In addition to the other requirements in this Section, if the holder installs, upgrades, constructs, operates, maintains, and removes facilities or equipment within a public right-of-way to provide cable service or video service, it shall comply with the following:

(1) The holder must locate its equipment in the right-of-way as to cause only minimum interference with the use of streets, alleys, and other public ways and places, and to cause only minimum impact upon and interference with the rights and reasonable convenience of property owners who adjoin any of the said streets, alleys, or other public ways. No fixtures shall be placed in any public ways in such a manner to interfere with the usual travel on such public ways, nor shall such fixtures or equipment limit the visibility of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or both.

(2) The holder shall comply with a local unit of government's reasonable requests to place equipment on public property where possible and promptly comply with local unit of government direction with respect to the location and screening of equipment and facilities. In constructing or upgrading its cable or video network in the right-of-way, the holder shall use the smallest suitable equipment enclosures and power pedestals and cabinets then in use by the holder for the application.

(3) The holder's construction practices shall be in accordance with all applicable Sections of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, as well as all applicable State laws, including the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, and local codes, where applicable, as adopted by the local unit of government. All installation of electronic equipment shall be of a permanent nature, durable, and, where applicable, installed in accordance with the provisions of the National Electrical Safety Code of the National Bureau of Standards and National Electrical Code of the National Board of Fire Underwriters.

(4) The holder shall not interfere with the local unit of government's performance of public works. Nothing in the State-issued authorization shall be in preference or hindrance to the right of the local unit of government to perform or carry on any public works or public improvements of any kind. The holder expressly agrees that it shall, at its own expense, protect, support, temporarily disconnect, relocate in the same street or other public place, or remove from such street or other public place any of the network, system, facilities, or equipment when required to do so by the local unit of government because of necessary public health, safety, and welfare improvements. In the event a holder and other users of a public right-of-way, including incumbent cable operators or utilities, are required to relocate and compensation is paid to the users of such public right-of-way, such parties shall be treated equally with respect to such compensation.

(5) The holder shall comply with all local units of government inspection requirements. The making of post-construction, subsequent or periodic inspections, or both, or the failure to do so shall not operate to relieve the holder of any responsibility, obligation, or liability.

(6) The holder shall maintain insurance or provide evidence of self insurance as required by an applicable ordinance of the local unit of government.

(7) The holder shall reimburse all reasonable make-ready expenses, including aerial and underground installation expenses requested by the holder to the local unit of government within 30 days of billing to the holder, provided that such charges shall be at the same rates as charges to others for the same or similar services.

(8) The holder shall indemnify and hold harmless the local unit of government and all boards, officers, employees, and representatives thereof from all claims, demands, causes of action, liability, judgments, costs and expenses, or losses for injury or death to persons or damage to property owned by, and Worker's Compensation claims against any parties indemnified herein, arising out of, caused by, or as a result of the holder's construction, lines, cable, erection, maintenance, use or presence of, or removal of any poles, wires, conduit, appurtenances thereto, or equipment or attachments thereto. The holder, however, shall not indemnify the local unit of government for any liabilities, damages, cost, and expense resulting from the willful misconduct, or negligence of the local unit of government, its officers, employees, and agents. The obligations imposed pursuant to this Section by a local unit of government shall be competitively neutral.

(9) The holder, upon request, shall provide the local unit of government with information describing the location of the cable service or video service facilities and equipment located in the unit of local government's rights-of-way pursuant to its State-issued authorization. If designated by the holder as confidential, such information provided pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from inspection and copying under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act pursuant to the exemption provided for under provision (mm) of item (1) of Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and any other present or future exemptions applicable to such information and shall not be disclosed by the unit of local government to any third party without the written consent of the holder.

(Source: P.A. 95-9, eff. 6-30-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

(220 ILCS 5/21-1601)

Sec. 21-1601. Repealer. Sections 21-101 through 21-1501 of this Article are repealed July 1, 2017 2015.

(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)

ARTICLE II

Section 2-1. The Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 405-270 as follows:

(20 ILCS 405/405-270) (was 20 ILCS 405/67.18)

Sec. 405-270. Communications services. To provide for and co-ordinate communications services for State agencies and, when requested and when in the best interests of the State, for units of federal or local governments and public and not-for-profit institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education. The Department may make use of its satellite uplink available to interested parties not associated with State government provided that State government usage shall have first priority. For this purpose the Department shall have the power and duty to do all of the following:

(1) Provide for and control the procurement, retention, installation, and maintenance of communications equipment or services used by State agencies in the interest of efficiency and economy.

(2) Establish standards by January 1, 1989 for communications services for State agencies which shall include a minimum of one telecommunication device for the deaf installed and operational within each State agency, to provide public access to agency information for those persons who are hearing or speech impaired. The Department shall consult the Department of Human Services to develop standards and implementation for this equipment.

(3) Establish charges (i) for communication services for State agencies and, when requested, for units of federal or local government and public and not-for-profit institutions of primary, secondary, or higher education and (ii) for use of the Department's satellite uplink by parties not associated with State government. Entities charged for these services shall reimburse the Department.

(4) Instruct all State agencies to report their usage of communication services regularly to the Department in the manner the Director may prescribe.

(5) Analyze the present and future aims and needs of all State agencies in the area of communications services and plan to serve those aims and needs in the most effective and efficient manner.

(6) Provide services, including, but not limited to, telecommunications, video recording, satellite uplink, public information, and other communications services.

(7) Establish the administrative organization within the Department that is required to accomplish the purpose of this Section.

The Department is authorized to conduct a study for the purpose of determining technical, engineering, and management specifications for the networking, compatible connection, or shared use of existing and future public and private owned television broadcast and reception facilities, including but not limited to terrestrial microwave, fiber optic, and satellite, for broadcast and reception of educational, governmental, and business programs, and to implement those specifications.

However, the Department may not control or interfere with the input of content into the telecommunications systems by the several State agencies or units of federal or local government, or public or not-for-profit institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education, or users of the Department's satellite uplink.

As used in this Section, the term "State agencies" means all departments, officers, commissions, boards, institutions, and bodies politic and corporate of the State except (i) the judicial branch, including, without limitation, the several courts of the State, the offices of the clerk of the supreme court and the clerks of the appellate court, and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and (ii) the General Assembly, legislative service agencies, and all officers of the General Assembly.

This Section does not apply to the procurement of Next Generation 9-1-1 service as governed by Section 15.6b of the Emergency Telephone System Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-91, eff. 7-1-05; 94-295, eff. 7-21-05; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

Section 2-3. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is amended by changing Section 5-45 as follows:

(5 ILCS 100/5-45) (from Ch. 127, par. 1005-45)

Sec. 5-45. Emergency rulemaking.

(a) "Emergency" means the existence of any situation that any agency finds reasonably constitutes a threat to the public interest, safety, or welfare.

(b) If any agency finds that an emergency exists that requires adoption of a rule upon fewer days than is required by Section 5-40 and states in writing its reasons for that finding, the agency may adopt an emergency rule without prior notice or hearing upon filing a notice of emergency rulemaking with the Secretary of State under Section 5-70. The notice shall include the text of the emergency rule and shall be published in the Illinois Register. Consent orders or other court orders adopting settlements negotiated by an agency may be adopted under this Section. Subject to applicable constitutional or statutory provisions, an emergency rule becomes effective immediately upon filing under Section 5-65 or at a stated date less than 10 days thereafter. The agency's finding and a statement of the specific reasons for the finding shall be filed with the rule. The agency shall take reasonable and appropriate measures to make emergency rules known to the persons who may be affected by them.

(c) An emergency rule may be effective for a period of not longer than 150 days, but the agency's authority to adopt an identical rule under Section 5-40 is not precluded. No emergency rule may be adopted more than once in any 24 month period, except that this limitation on the number of emergency rules that may be adopted in a 24 month period does not apply to (i) emergency rules that make additions to and deletions from the Drug Manual under Section 5-5.16 of the Illinois Public Aid Code or the generic drug formulary under Section 3.14 of the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, (ii) emergency rules adopted by the Pollution Control Board before July 1, 1997 to implement portions of the Livestock Management Facilities Act, (iii) emergency rules adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health under subsections (a) through (i) of Section 2 of the Department of Public Health Act when necessary to protect the public's health, (iv) emergency rules adopted pursuant to subsection (n) of this Section, (v) emergency rules adopted pursuant to subsection (o) of this Section, or (vi) emergency rules adopted pursuant to subsection (c-5) of this Section. Two or more emergency rules having substantially the same purpose and effect shall be deemed to be a single rule for purposes of this Section.

(c-5) To facilitate the maintenance of the program of group health benefits provided to annuitants, survivors, and retired employees under the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, rules to alter the contributions to be paid by the State, annuitants, survivors, retired employees, or any combination of those entities, for that program of group health benefits, shall be adopted as emergency rules. The adoption of those rules shall be considered an emergency and necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(d) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 1999 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of Public Act 90-587 or 90-588 or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 1999 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (d). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (d) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(e) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 2000 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2000 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (e). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (e) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(f) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 2001 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2001 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (f). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (f) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(g) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 2002 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2002 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (g). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (g) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(h) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 2003 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2003 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (h). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (h) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(i) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the State's fiscal year 2004 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2004 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (i). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (i) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(j) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2005 budget as provided under the Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Implementation (Human Services) Act, emergency rules to implement any provision of the Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Implementation (Human Services) Act may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (j). The Department of Public Aid may also adopt rules under this subsection (j) necessary to administer the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Children's Health Insurance Program Act. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (j) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(k) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2006 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly or any other budget initiative for fiscal year 2006 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative, except that the 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections 5-115 and 5-125 do not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (k). The Department of Healthcare and Family Services may also adopt rules under this subsection (k) necessary to administer the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act, the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Prescription Drug Discount Program Act (now the Illinois Prescription Drug Discount Program Act), and the Children's Health Insurance Program Act. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (k) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(l) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2007 budget, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may adopt emergency rules during fiscal year 2007, including rules effective July 1, 2007, in accordance with this subsection to the extent necessary to administer the Department's responsibilities with respect to amendments to the State plans and Illinois waivers approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services necessitated by the requirements of Title XIX and Title XXI of the federal Social Security Act. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (l) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(m) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2008 budget, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may adopt emergency rules during fiscal year 2008, including rules effective July 1, 2008, in accordance with this subsection to the extent necessary to administer the Department's responsibilities with respect to amendments to the State plans and Illinois waivers approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services necessitated by the requirements of Title XIX and Title XXI of the federal Social Security Act. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (m) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(n) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2010 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly or any other budget initiative authorized by the 96th General Assembly for fiscal year 2010 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (n) shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare. The rulemaking authority granted in this subsection (n) shall apply only to rules promulgated during Fiscal Year 2010.

(o) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of the State's fiscal year 2011 budget, emergency rules to implement any provision of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly or any other budget initiative authorized by the 96th General Assembly for fiscal year 2011 may be adopted in accordance with this Section by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (o) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare. The rulemaking authority granted in this subsection (o) applies only to rules promulgated on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly through June 30, 2011.

(p) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of Public Act 97-689, emergency rules to implement any provision of Public Act 97-689 may be adopted in accordance with this subsection (p) by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative. The 150-day limitation of the effective period of emergency rules does not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (p), and the effective period may continue through June 30, 2013. The 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules does not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (p). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (p) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(q) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of Articles 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, emergency rules to implement any provision of Articles 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly may be adopted in accordance with this subsection (q) by the agency charged with administering that provision or initiative. The 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules does not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (q). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (q) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(r) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, emergency rules to implement this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly may be adopted in accordance with this subsection (r) by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules does not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (r). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (r) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(s) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of Sections 5-5b.1 and 5A-2 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, emergency rules to implement any provision of Section 5-5b.1 or Section 5A-2 of the Illinois Public Aid Code may be adopted in accordance with this subsection (s) by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The rulemaking authority granted in this subsection (s) shall apply only to those rules adopted prior to July 1, 2015. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, any emergency rule adopted under this subsection (s) shall only apply to payments made for State fiscal year 2015. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (s) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(t) In order to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of the provisions of Article II of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, emergency rules to implement the changes made by Article II of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly to the Emergency Telephone System Act may be adopted in accordance with this subsection (t) by the Department of State Police. The rulemaking authority granted in this subsection (t) shall apply only to those rules adopted prior to July 1, 2016. The 24-month limitation on the adoption of emergency rules does not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (t). The adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (t) is deemed to be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(Source: P.A. 98-104, eff. 7-22-13; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13; 98-651, eff. 6-16-14; 99-2, eff. 3-26-15.)

Section 2-5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing Section 5.529 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.529)

Sec. 5.529. The Statewide 9-1-1 Wireless Service Emergency Fund.

(Source: P.A. 91-660, eff. 12-22-99; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)

Section 2-10. The Emergency Telephone System Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 3, 4, 6, 6.1, 7, 8, 10, 10.2, 11, 12, 15, 15.1, 15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, and 15.8 and by adding Sections 15.2c, 15.3a, 15.4a, 15.4b, 15.6a, 15.6b, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 as follows:

(50 ILCS 750/2) (from Ch. 134, par. 32)

Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"9-1-1 system" means the geographic area that has been granted an order of authority by the Commission or the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator to use "9-1-1" as the primary emergency telephone number.

"9-1-1 Authority" includes an Emergency Telephone System Board, Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, and a qualified governmental entity. "9-1-1 Authority" includes the Department of State Police only to the extent it provides 9-1-1 services under this Act.

"Administrator" means the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator.

"Advanced service" means any telecommunications service with dynamic bandwidth allocation, including, but not limited to, ISDN Primary Rate Interface (PRI), that, through the use of a DS-1, T-1, or similar un-channelized or multi-channel transmission facility, is capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises voice telecommunications services to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency.

"ALI" or "automatic location identification" means, in an E9-1-1 system, the automatic display at the public safety answering point of the caller's telephone number, the address or location of the telephone, and supplementary emergency services information.

"ANI" or "automatic number identification" means the automatic display of the 9-1-1 calling party's number on the PSAP monitor.

"Automatic alarm" and "automatic alerting device" mean any device that will access the 9-1-1 system for emergency services upon activation.

"Board" means an Emergency Telephone System Board or a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board created pursuant to Section 15.4.

"Carrier" includes a telecommunications carrier and a wireless carrier.

"Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.

"Computer aided dispatch" or "CAD" means a database maintained by the public safety agency or public safety answering point used in conjunction with 9-1-1 caller data.

"Direct dispatch method" means a 9-1-1 service that provides for the direct dispatch by a PSAP telecommunicator of the appropriate unit upon receipt of an emergency call and the decision as to the proper action to be taken.

"Department" means the Department of State Police.

"DS-1, T-1, or similar un-channelized or multi-channel transmission facility" means a facility that can transmit and receive a bit rate of at least 1.544 megabits per second (Mbps).

"Dynamic bandwidth allocation" means the ability of the facility or customer to drop and add channels, or adjust bandwidth, when needed in real time for voice or data purposes.

"Enhanced 9-1-1" or "E9-1-1" means an emergency telephone system that includes dedicated network, selective routing, database, ALI, ANI, selective transfer, fixed transfer, and a call back number.

"ETSB" means an emergency telephone system board appointed by the corporate authorities of any county or municipality that provides for the management and operation of a 9-1-1 system.

"Hearing-impaired individual" means a person with a permanent hearing loss who can regularly and routinely communicate by telephone only through the aid of devices which can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

"Hosted supplemental 9-1-1 service" means a database service that:

(1) electronically provides information to 9-1-1 call takers when a call is placed to 9-1-1;

(2) allows telephone subscribers to provide information to 9-1-1 to be used in emergency scenarios;

(3) collects a variety of formatted data relevant to 9-1-1 and first responder needs, which may include, but is not limited to, photographs of the telephone subscribers, physical descriptions, medical information, household data, and emergency contacts;

(4) allows for information to be entered by telephone subscribers through a secure website where they can elect to provide as little or as much information as they choose;

(5) automatically displays data provided by telephone subscribers to 9-1-1 call takers for all types of telephones when a call is placed to 9-1-1 from a registered and confirmed phone number;

(6) supports the delivery of telephone subscriber information through a secure internet connection to all emergency telephone system boards;

(7) works across all 9-1-1 call taking equipment and allow for the easy transfer of information into a computer aided dispatch system; and

(8) may be used to collect information pursuant to an Illinois Premise Alert Program as defined in the Illinois Premise Alert Program (PAP) Act.

"Interconnected voice over Internet protocol provider" or "Interconnected VoIP provider," has the meaning given to that term under Section 13-235 of the Public Utilities Act.

"Joint ETSB" means a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board established by intergovernmental agreement of two or more municipalities or counties, or a combination thereof, to provide for the management and operation of a 9-1-1 system.

"Local public agency" means any unit of local government or special purpose district located in whole or in part within this State that provides or has authority to provide firefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services.

"Mechanical dialer" means any device that either manually or remotely triggers a dialing device to access the 9-1-1 system.

"Master Street Address Guide" means the computerized geographical database that consists of all street and address data within a 9-1-1 system.

"Mobile telephone number" or "MTN" means the telephone number assigned to a wireless telephone at the time of initial activation.

"Network connections" means the number of voice grade communications channels directly between a subscriber and a telecommunications carrier's public switched network, without the intervention of any other telecommunications carrier's switched network, which would be required to carry the subscriber's inter-premises traffic and which connection either (1) is capable of providing access through the public switched network to a 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System, if one exists, or (2) if no system exists at the time a surcharge is imposed under Section 15.3, that would be capable of providing access through the public switched network to the local 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System if one existed. Where multiple voice grade communication channels are connected to a telecommunications carrier's public switched network through a private branch exchange (PBX) service, there shall be determined to be one network connection for each trunk line capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises traffic to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency. Where multiple voice grade communication channels are connected to a telecommunications carrier's public switched network through centrex type service, the number of network connections shall be equal to the number of PBX trunk equivalents for the subscriber's service, as determined by reference to any generally applicable exchange access service tariff filed by the subscriber's telecommunications carrier with the Commission.

"Network costs" means those recurring costs that that directly relate to the operation of the 9-1-1 network as determined by the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, including, but not limited to, costs for interoffice trunks, selective routing charges, transfer lines and toll charges for 9-1-1 services, Automatic Location Information (ALI) database charges, call box trunk circuit (including central office only and not including extensions to fire stations), independent local exchange carrier charges and non-system provider charges, carrier charge for third party database for on-site customer premises equipment, back-up PSAP trunks for non-system providers, periodic database updates as provided by carrier (also known as "ALI data dump"), regional ALI storage charges, circuits for call delivery (fiber or circuit connection), NG9-1-1 costs, and all associated fees, taxes, and surcharges on each invoice. "Network costs" shall not include radio circuits, or toll charges that are other than for 9-1-1 services.

"Next generation 9-1-1" or "NG9-1-1" means an Internet Protocol-based (IP-based) system comprised of managed ESInets, functional elements and applications, and databases that replicate traditional E9-1-1 features and functions and provide additional capabilities. "NG9-1-1" systems are designed to provide access to emergency services from all connected communications sources, and provide multimedia data capabilities for PSAPs and other emergency services organizations.

"NG9-1-1 costs" means those recurring costs that that directly relate to the Next Generation 9-1-1 service as determined by the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, including, but not limited to, costs for Emergency System Routing Proxy (ESRP), Emergency Call Routing Function/Location Validation Function (ECRF/LVF), Spatial Information Function (SIF), the Border Control Function (BCF), and the Emergency Services Internet Protocol networks (ESInets), legacy network gateways, and all associated fees, taxes, and surcharges on each invoice.

"Private branch exchange" or "PBX" means a private telephone system and associated equipment located on the user's property that provides communications between internal stations and external networks.

"Private business switch service" means a telecommunications service including centrex type service and PBX service, even though key telephone systems or equivalent telephone systems registered with the Federal Communications Commission under 47 C.F.R. Part 68 are directly connected to centrex type and PBX systems providing 9-1-1 services equipped for switched local network connections or 9-1-1 system access to business end users through a private telephone switch.

"Private business switch service" does not include key telephone systems or equivalent telephone systems registered with the Federal Communications Commission under 47 C.F.R. Part 68 when not used in conjunction with centrex type and PBX systems. "Private business switch service" typically includes, but is not limited to, private businesses, corporations, and industries where the telecommunications service is primarily for conducting business.

"Private residential switch service" means a telecommunications service including centrex type service and PBX service, even though key telephone systems or equivalent telephone systems registered with the Federal Communications Commission under 47 C.F.R. Part 68 are directly connected to centrex type and PBX systems providing 9-1-1 services equipped for switched local network connections or 9-1-1 system access to residential end users through a private telephone switch. "Private residential switch service" does not include key telephone systems or equivalent telephone systems registered with the Federal Communications Commission under 47 C.F.R. Part 68 when not used in conjunction with centrex type and PBX systems. "Private residential switch service" typically includes, but is not limited to, apartment complexes, condominiums, and campus or university environments where shared tenant service is provided and where the usage of the telecommunications service is primarily residential.

"Public agency" means the State, and any unit of local government or special purpose district located in whole or in part within this State, that provides or has authority to provide firefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services.

"Public safety agency" means a functional division of a public agency that provides firefighting, police, medical, or other emergency services. For the purpose of providing wireless service to users of 9-1-1 emergency services, as expressly provided for in this Act, the Department of State Police may be considered a public safety agency.

"Public safety answering point" or "PSAP" means the initial answering location of an emergency call.

"Qualified governmental entity" means a unit of local government authorized to provide 9-1-1 services pursuant to this Act where no emergency telephone system board exists.

"Referral method" means a 9-1-1 service in which the PSAP telecommunicator provides the calling party with the telephone number of the appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.

"Regular service" means any telecommunications service, other than advanced service, that is capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises voice telecommunications services to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency.

"Relay method" means a 9-1-1 service in which the PSAP telecommunicator takes the pertinent information from a caller and relays that information to the appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.

"Remit period" means the billing period, one month in duration, for which a wireless carrier remits a surcharge and provides subscriber information by zip code to the Department, in accordance with Section 20 of this Act.

"Statewide wireless emergency 9-1-1 system" means all areas of the State where an emergency telephone system board or, in the absence of an emergency telephone system board, a qualified governmental entity, has not declared its intention for one or more of its public safety answering points to serve as a primary wireless 9-1-1 public safety answering point for its jurisdiction. The operator of the statewide wireless emergency 9-1-1 system shall be the Department of State Police.

"System" means the communications equipment and related software applications required to produce a response by the appropriate emergency public safety agency or other provider of emergency services as a result of an emergency call being placed to 9-1-1.

"System provider" means the contracted entity providing 9-1-1 network and database services.

"Telecommunications carrier" means those entities included within the definition specified in Section 13-202 of the Public Utilities Act, and includes those carriers acting as resellers of telecommunications services. "Telecommunications carrier" includes telephone systems operating as mutual concerns. "Telecommunications carrier" does not include a wireless carrier.

"Telecommunications technology" means equipment that can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

"Transfer method" means a 9-1-1 service in which the PSAP telecommunicator receiving a call transfers that call to the appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.

"Transmitting messages" shall have the meaning given to that term under Section 8-11-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code.

"Trunk line" means a transmission path, or group of transmission paths, connecting a subscriber's PBX to a telecommunications carrier's public switched network. In the case of regular service, each voice grade communications channel or equivalent amount of bandwidth capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises voice telecommunications services to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency shall be considered a trunk line, even if it is bundled with other channels or additional bandwidth. In the case of advanced service, each DS-1, T-1, or similar un-channelized or multi-channel transmission facility that is capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises voice telecommunications services to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency shall be considered a single trunk line, even if it contains multiple voice grade communications channels or otherwise supports 2 or more voice grade calls at a time; provided, however, that each additional 1.544 Mbps of transmission capacity that is capable of transporting either the subscriber's inter-premises voice telecommunications services to the public switched network or the subscriber's 9-1-1 calls to the public agency shall be considered an additional trunk line.

"Voice-impaired individual" means a person with a permanent speech disability which precludes oral communication, who can regularly and routinely communicate by telephone only through the aid of devices which can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

"Wireless carrier" means a provider of two-way cellular, broadband PCS, geographic area 800 MHZ and 900 MHZ Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS), Wireless Communications Service (WCS), or other Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS), as defined by the Federal Communications Commission, offering radio communications that may provide fixed, mobile, radio location, or satellite communication services to individuals or businesses within its assigned spectrum block and geographical area or that offers real-time, two-way voice service that is interconnected with the public switched network, including a reseller of such service.

"Wireless enhanced 9-1-1" means the ability to relay the telephone number of the originator of a 9-1-1 call and location information from any mobile handset or text telephone device accessing the wireless system to the designated wireless public safety answering point as set forth in the order of the Federal Communications Commission, FCC Docket No. 94-102, adopted June 12, 1996, with an effective date of October 1, 1996, and any subsequent amendment thereto.

"Wireless public safety answering point" means the functional division of a 9-1-1 authority accepting wireless 9-1-1 calls.

"Wireless subscriber" means an individual or entity to whom a wireless service account or number has been assigned by a wireless carrier, other than an account or number associated with prepaid wireless telecommunication service. As used in this Act, the terms defined in Sections following this Section and preceding Section 3 have the meanings ascribed to them in those Sections.

(Source: P.A. 88-497.)

(50 ILCS 750/3) (from Ch. 134, par. 33)

Sec. 3. (a) By July 1, 2017, every local public agency shall be within the jurisdiction of a 9-1-1 system. Every local public agency in a county having 100,000 or more inhabitants, within its respective jurisdiction, shall establish and have in operation within 3 years after the implementation date or by December 31, 1985, whichever is later, a basic or sophisticated system as specified in this Act. Other public agencies may establish such a system, and shall be entitled to participate in any program of grants or other State funding of such systems.

(b) By July 1, 2020, every 9-1-1 system in Illinois shall provide Next Generation 9-1-1 service. The establishment of such systems shall be centralized to the extent feasible.

(c) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit or discourage in any way the formation of multijurisdictional or regional systems, and any system established pursuant to this Act may include the territory of more than one public agency or may include a segment of the territory of a public agency.

(Source: P.A. 81-1509.)

(50 ILCS 750/4) (from Ch. 134, par. 34)

Sec. 4. Every system shall include police, firefighting, and emergency medical and ambulance services, and may include other emergency services, in the discretion of the affected local public agency, such as poison control services, suicide prevention services, and civil defense services. The system may incorporate private ambulance service. In those areas in which a public safety agency of the state provides such emergency services, the system shall include such public safety agencies.

(Source: P.A. 79-1092.)

(50 ILCS 750/6) (from Ch. 134, par. 36)

Sec. 6. Capabilities of system; pay telephones. All systems shall be designed to meet the specific requirements of each community and public agency served by the system. Every system, whether basic or sophisticated, shall be designed to have the capability of utilizing the direct dispatch method, relay method, transfer method, or referral method at least 1 of the methods specified in Sections 2.03 through 2.06, in response to emergency calls. The General Assembly finds and declares that the most critical aspect of the design of any system is the procedure established for handling a telephone request for emergency services.

In addition, to maximize efficiency and utilization of the system, all pay telephones within each system shall, within 3 years after the implementation date or by December 31, 1985, whichever is later, enable a caller to dial "9-1-1" for emergency services without the necessity of inserting a coin. This paragraph does not apply to pay telephones located in penal institutions, as defined in Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that have been designated for the exclusive use of committed persons.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(50 ILCS 750/6.1) (from Ch. 134, par. 36.1)

Sec. 6.1. Every The Commission shall require that every 9-1-1 system shall be readily accessible to hearing-impaired and voice-impaired individuals through the use of telecommunications technology for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.

As used in this Section:

"Hearing-impaired individual" means a person with a permanent hearing loss who can regularly and routinely communicate by telephone only through the aid of devices which can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

"Voice-impaired individual" means a person with a permanent speech disability which precludes oral communication, who can regularly and routinely communicate by telephone only through the aid of devices which can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

"Telecommunications technology" means equipment that can send and receive written messages over the telephone network.

(Source: P.A. 87-146.)

(50 ILCS 750/7) (from Ch. 134, par. 37)

Sec. 7. The General Assembly finds that, because of overlapping jurisdiction of public agencies, public safety agencies and telephone service areas, the Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, Commission shall establish a general overview or plan to effectuate the purposes of this Act within the time frame provided in this Act. In order to insure that proper preparation and implementation of emergency telephone systems are accomplished by all public agencies as required under this Act in a county having 100,000 or more inhabitants within 3 years after the implementation date or by December 31, 1985, whichever is later, the Department Commission, with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General, shall secure compliance by public agencies as provided in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 81-1122.)

(50 ILCS 750/8) (from Ch. 134, par. 38)

Sec. 8. The Administrator Commission, with the advice and recommendation assistance of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board Attorney General, shall coordinate the implementation of systems established under this Act. The Commission, with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General, shall assist local public agencies and local public safety agencies in obtaining financial help to establish emergency telephone service, and shall aid such agencies in the formulation of concepts, methods, and procedures which will improve the operation of systems required by this Act and which will increase cooperation between public safety agencies.

(Source: P.A. 79-1092.)

(50 ILCS 750/10) (from Ch. 134, par. 40)

Sec. 10. The Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, shall establish uniform technical and operational standards for all 9-1-1 systems in Illinois. All findings, orders, decisions, rules, and regulations issued or promulgated by the Commission under this Act or any other Act establishing or conferring power on the Commission with respect to emergency telecommunications services, shall continue in force. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, where applicable, the Administrator shall, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, amend the Commission's findings, orders, decisions, rules, and regulations to conform to the specific provisions of this Act as soon as practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly. The Department may adopt emergency rules necessary to implement the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly under subsection (t) of Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Technical and operational standards for the development of the local agency systems shall be established and reviewed by the Commission on or before December 31, 1979, after consultation with all agencies specified in Section 9.

For the limited purpose of permitting a board, a qualified governmental entity, a group of boards, or a group of governmental entities to participate in a Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1, as defined in this Act, the Commission may forbear from applying any rule adopted under the Emergency Telephone Systems Act as it applies to conducting of the Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1, if the Commission determines, after notice and hearing, that:

(1) enforcement of the rule is not necessary to ensure the development and improvement of emergency communication procedures and facilities in such a manner as to be able to quickly respond to any person requesting 9-1-1 service from police, fire, medical, rescue, and other emergency services;

(2) enforcement of the rule or provision is not necessary for the protection of consumers; and

(3) forbearance from applying the provisions or rules is consistent with the public interest.

The Commission may exercise such forbearance with respect to one, and only one, Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1.

If the Commission authorizes a Regional Pilot Project, then telecommunications carriers shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission, except willful or wanton misconduct, in connection with developing, adopting, operating, implementing, or delivering or receiving calls in connection with any plan or system authorized by this Section and Section 11 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1443, eff. 8-20-10.)

(50 ILCS 750/10.2) (from Ch. 134, par. 40.2)

Sec. 10.2. The Emergency Telephone System Board in any county passing a referendum under Section 15.3, and the Chairman of the County Board in any county implementing a 9-1-1 system shall ensure that all areas of the county are included in the system.

(Source: P.A. 87-146.)

(50 ILCS 750/11) (from Ch. 134, par. 41)

Sec. 11. Within one year after the implementation date or by January 31, 1980, whichever is later, all public agencies in a county having 100,000 or more inhabitants shall submit tentative plans of the establishment of a system required by this Act to the public utility or utilities providing public telephone service within the respective jurisdiction of each public agency. A copy of each such plan shall be filed with the Commission.

Within 2 years after the implementation date or by January 31, 1982, whichever is later, all public agencies in a county having 100,000 or more inhabitants shall submit final plans for the establishment of the system to such utilities, and shall make arrangements with such utilities for the implementation of the planned emergency telephone system no later than 3 years after the implementation date or by December 31, 1985, whichever is later. A copy of the plan required by this subdivision shall be filed with the Commission. In order to secure compliance with the standards promulgated under Section 10, the Commission shall have the power to approve or disapprove such plan, unless such plan was announced before the effective date of this Act.

If any public agency has implemented or is a part of a system required by this Act on a deadline specified in this Section, such public agency shall submit in lieu of the tentative or final plan a report describing the system and stating its operational date.

A board, a qualified governmental entity, a group of boards, or a group of qualified governmental entities involved in a Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1, as defined in this Act, shall submit a plan to the Commission describing in detail the Regional Pilot Project no fewer than 180 days prior to the implementation of the plan. The Commission may approve the plan after notice and hearing to authorize such Regional Pilot Project. Such shall not exceed one year duration or other time period approved by the Commission. No entity may proceed with the Regional Pilot Project until it receives Commission approval. In approving any plan for a Regional Pilot Project under this Section, the Commission may impose such terms, conditions, or requirements as, in its judgment, are necessary to protect the interests of the public.

The Commission shall have authority to approve one, and only one, Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1.

All local public agencies operating a 9-1-1 system shall operate under a plan that has been filed with and approved by the Commission prior to January 1, 2016, or the Administrator. Plans filed under this Section shall conform to minimum standards established pursuant to Section 10.

(Source: P.A. 96-1443, eff. 8-20-10.)

(50 ILCS 750/12) (from Ch. 134, par. 42)

Sec. 12. The Attorney General may, in behalf of the Department Commission or on his own initiative, commence judicial proceedings to enforce compliance by any public agency or public utility providing telephone service with this Act.

(Source: P.A. 79-1092.)

(50 ILCS 750/15) (from Ch. 134, par. 45)

Sec. 15. Copies of the annual certified notification of continuing agreement required by Section 14 shall be filed with the Attorney General and the Administrator Commission. All Commencing with the year 1987, all such agreements shall be so filed prior to the 31st day of January. The Attorney General shall commence judicial proceedings to enforce compliance with this Section and Section 14, where a public agency or public safety agency has failed to timely enter into such agreement or file copies thereof.

(Source: P.A. 86-101.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.1) (from Ch. 134, par. 45.1)

Sec. 15.1. Public body; exemption from civil liability for developing or operating emergency telephone system.

(a) In no event shall a No public agency, the Commission, the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, the Administrator, the Department of State Police, public safety agency, public safety answering point, emergency telephone system board, or unit of local government assuming the duties of an emergency telephone system board, or carrier, or its officers, employees, assigns, or agents nor any officer, agent or employee of any public agency, public safety agency, emergency telephone system board, or unit of local government assuming the duties of an emergency telephone system board, shall be liable for any civil damages or criminal liability that directly or indirectly results from, or is caused by, any act or omission in the development, design, installation, operation, maintenance, performance, or provision of 9-1-1 service required by this Act, unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct as a result of any act or omission, except willful or wanton misconduct, in connection with developing, adopting, operating or implementing any plan or system required by this Act.

A unit of local government, the Commission, the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, the Administrator, the Department of State Police, public safety agency, public safety answering point, emergency telephone system board, or carrier, or its officers, employees, assigns, or agents, shall not be liable for any form of civil damages or criminal liability that directly or indirectly results from, or is caused by, the release of subscriber information to any governmental entity as required under the provisions of this Act, unless the release constitutes gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct.

(b) Exemption from civil liability for emergency instructions is as provided in the Good Samaritan Act.

(c) This Section may not be offered as a defense in any judicial proceeding brought by the Attorney General under Section 12 to compel compliance with this Act.

(Source: P.A. 89-403, eff. 1-1-96; 89-607, eff. 1-1-97.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.2c new)

Sec. 15.2c. Call boxes. No carrier shall be required to provide a call box. For purposes of this Section, the term "call box" means device that is normally mounted to an outside wall of the serving telecommunications carrier central office and designed to provide emergency on-site answering by authorized personnel at the central office location in the event a central office is isolated from the 9-1-1 network.

(50 ILCS 750/15.3a new)

Sec. 15.3a. Local wireless surcharge.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a unit of local government or emergency telephone system board providing wireless 9-1-1 service and imposing and collecting a wireless carrier surcharge prior to July 1, 1998 may continue its practices of imposing and collecting its wireless carrier surcharge, but, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, in no event shall that monthly surcharge exceed $2.50 per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis. For mobile telecommunications services provided on and after August 1, 2002, any surcharge imposed shall be imposed based upon the municipality or county that encompasses the customer's place of primary use as defined in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Conformity Act.

(b) Until July 1, 2017, the corporate authorities of a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000 on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly may by ordinance continue to impose and collect a monthly surcharge per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis that does not exceed the highest monthly surcharge imposed as of January 1, 2014 by any county or municipality under subsection (c) of Section 15.3 of this Act. On or after July 1, 2017, the municipality may continue imposing and collecting its wireless carrier surcharge as provided in and subject to the limitations of subsection (a) of this Section.

(c) In addition to any other lawful purpose, a municipality with a population over 500,000 may use the moneys collected under this Section for any anti-terrorism or emergency preparedness measures, including, but not limited to, preparedness planning, providing local matching funds for federal or State grants, personnel training, and specialized equipment, including surveillance cameras, as needed to deal with natural and terrorist-inspired emergency situations or events.

(50 ILCS 750/15.4) (from Ch. 134, par. 45.4)

Sec. 15.4. Emergency Telephone System Board; powers.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this Section, the The corporate authorities of any county or municipality may that imposes a surcharge under Section 15.3 shall establish an Emergency Telephone System Board. The corporate authorities shall provide for the manner of appointment and the number of members of the Board, provided that the board shall consist of not fewer than 5 members, one of whom must be a public member who is a resident of the local exchange service territory included in the 9-1-1 coverage area, one of whom (in counties with a population less than 100,000) may must be a member of the county board, and at least 3 of whom shall be representative of the 9-1-1 public safety agencies, including but not limited to police departments, fire departments, emergency medical services providers, and emergency services and disaster agencies, and appointed on the basis of their ability or experience. In counties with a population of more than 100,000 but less than 2,000,000, a member of the county board may serve on the Emergency Telephone System Board. Elected officials, including members of a county board, are also eligible to serve on the board. Members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses. Any 2 or more municipalities, counties, or combination thereof, that impose a surcharge under Section 15.3 may, instead of establishing individual boards, establish by intergovernmental agreement a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board pursuant to this Section. The manner of appointment of such a joint board shall be prescribed in the agreement.

Upon the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, appointed members of the Emergency Telephone System Board shall serve staggered 3-year terms if: (1) the Board serves a county with a population of 100,000 or less; and (2) appointments, on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, are not for a stated term. The corporate authorities of the county or municipality shall assign terms to the board members serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly in the following manner: (1) one-third of board members' terms shall expire on January 1, 2015; (2) one-third of board members' terms shall expire on January 1, 2016; and (3) remaining board members' terms shall expire on January 1, 2017. Board members may be re-appointed upon the expiration of their terms by the corporate authorities of the county or municipality.

The corporate authorities of a county or municipality may, by a vote of the majority of the members elected, remove an Emergency Telephone System Board member for misconduct, official misconduct, or neglect of office.

(b) The powers and duties of the board shall be defined by ordinance of the municipality or county, or by intergovernmental agreement in the case of a joint board. The powers and duties shall include, but need not be limited to the following:

(1) Planning a 9-1-1 system.

(2) Coordinating and supervising the implementation, upgrading, or maintenance of the system, including the establishment of equipment specifications and coding systems.

(3) Receiving moneys from the surcharge imposed under Section 15.3, or disbursed to it under Section 30, and from any other source, for deposit into the Emergency Telephone System Fund.

(4) Authorizing all disbursements from the fund.

(5) Hiring any staff necessary for the implementation or upgrade of the system.

(6) (Blank). Participating in a Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1, as defined in this Act, subject to the conditions set forth in this Act.

(c) All moneys received by a board pursuant to a surcharge imposed under Section 15.3, or disbursed to it under Section 30, shall be deposited into a separate interest-bearing Emergency Telephone System Fund account. The treasurer of the municipality or county that has established the board or, in the case of a joint board, any municipal or county treasurer designated in the intergovernmental agreement, shall be custodian of the fund. All interest accruing on the fund shall remain in the fund. No expenditures may be made from such fund except upon the direction of the board by resolution passed by a majority of all members of the board. Expenditures may be made only to pay for the costs associated with the following:

(1) The design of the Emergency Telephone System.

(2) The coding of an initial Master Street Address Guide data base, and update and maintenance thereof.

(3) The repayment of any moneys advanced for the implementation of the system.

(4) The charges for Automatic Number Identification and Automatic Location Identification equipment, a computer aided dispatch system that records, maintains, and integrates information, mobile data transmitters equipped with automatic vehicle locators, and maintenance, replacement and update thereof to increase operational efficiency and improve the provision of emergency services.

(5) The non-recurring charges related to installation of the Emergency Telephone System and the ongoing network charges.

(6) The acquisition and installation, or the reimbursement of costs therefor to other governmental bodies that have incurred those costs, of road or street signs that are essential to the implementation of the emergency telephone system and that are not duplicative of signs that are the responsibility of the jurisdiction charged with maintaining road and street signs.

(7) Other products and services necessary for the implementation, upgrade, and maintenance of the system and any other purpose related to the operation of the system, including costs attributable directly to the construction, leasing, or maintenance of any buildings or facilities or costs of personnel attributable directly to the operation of the system. Costs attributable directly to the operation of an emergency telephone system do not include the costs of public safety agency personnel who are and equipment that is dispatched in response to an emergency call.

(7.5) The purchase of real property if the purchase is made before March 16, 2006.

(8) In the case of a municipality that imposes a surcharge under subsection (h) of Section 15.3, moneys may also be used for any anti-terrorism or emergency preparedness measures, including, but not limited to, preparedness planning, providing local matching funds for federal or State grants, personnel training, and specialized equipment, including surveillance cameras as needed to deal with natural and terrorist-inspired emergency situations or events.

(9) The defraying of expenses incurred in participation in a Regional Pilot Project to implement next generation 9-1-1, subject to the conditions set forth in this Act.

(10) The implementation of a computer aided dispatch system or hosted supplemental 9-1-1 services.

Moneys in the fund may also be transferred to a participating fire protection district to reimburse volunteer firefighters who man remote telephone switching facilities when dedicated 9-1-1 lines are down.

(d) The board shall complete a Master Street Address Guide database the data base before implementation of the 9-1-1 system. The error ratio of the database data base shall not at any time exceed 1% of the total database data base.

(e) On and after January 1, 2016, no municipality or county may create an Emergency Telephone System Board unless the board is a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board. The corporate authorities of any county or municipality entering into an intergovernmental agreement to create or join a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board shall rescind the ordinance or ordinances creating the original Emergency Telephone System Board and shall eliminate the Emergency Telephone System Board, effective upon the creation, with regulatory approval by the Administrator, or joining of the Joint Emergency Telephone System Board.

(Source: P.A. 97-517, eff. 8-23-11; 97-1018, eff. 8-17-12; 98-481, eff. 8-16-13.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.4a new)

Sec. 15.4a. Consolidation.

(a) By July 1, 2017, and except as otherwise provided in this Section, Emergency Telephone System Boards, Joint Emergency Telephone System Boards, qualified governmental entities, and PSAPs shall be consolidated as follows, subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this Section:

(1) In any county with a population of at least 250,000 that has a single Emergency Telephone System Board, or qualified governmental entity and more than 2 PSAPs, shall reduce the number of PSAPs by at least 50% or to 2 PSAPs, whichever is greater. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude consolidation resulting in one PSAP in the county.

(2) In any county with a population of at least 250,000 that has more than one Emergency Telephone System Board, Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, or qualified governmental entity, any 9-1-1 Authority serving a population of less than 25,000 shall be consolidated such that no 9-1-1 Authority in the county serves a population of less than 25,000.

(3) In any county with a population of at least 250,000 but less than 1,000,000 that has more than one Emergency Telephone System Board, Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, or qualified governmental entity, each 9-1-1 Authority shall reduce the number of PSAPs by at least 50% or to 2 PSAPs, whichever is greater. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude consolidation of a 9-1-1 Authority into a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, and nothing in this paragraph shall preclude consolidation resulting in one PSAP in the county.

(4) In any county with a population of less than 250,000 that has a single Emergency Telephone System Board or qualified governmental entity and more than 2 PSAPs, the 9-1-1 Authority shall reduce the number of PSAPs by at least 50% or to 2 PSAPs, whichever is greater. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude consolidation resulting in one PSAP in the county.

(5) In any county with a population of less than 250,000 that has more than one Emergency Telephone System Board, Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, or qualified governmental entity and more than 2 PSAPS, the 9-1-1 Authorities shall be consolidated into a single joint board, and the number of PSAPs shall be reduced by at least 50% or to 2 PSAPs, whichever is greater. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude consolidation resulting in one PSAP in the county.

(6) Any 9-1-1 Authority that does not have a PSAP within its jurisdiction shall be consolidated through an intergovernmental agreement with an existing 9-1-1 Authority that has a PSAP to create a Joint Emergency Telephone Board.

(7) The corporate authorities of each county that has no 9-1-1 service as of January 1, 2016 shall provide enhanced 9-1-1 wireline and wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service for that county by either (i) entering into an intergovernmental agreement with an existing Emergency Telephone System Board to create a new Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, or (ii) entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the corporate authorities that have created an existing Joint Emergency Telephone System Board.

(b) By July 1, 2016, each county required to consolidate pursuant to paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of this Section and each 9-1-1 Authority required to consolidate pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (a) of this Section shall file a plan for consolidation or a request for a waiver pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section with the Division of 9-1-1. Within 60 calendar days of receiving a consolidation plan, the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board shall hold at least one public hearing on the plan and provide a recommendation to the Administrator. Notice of the hearing shall be provided to the respective entity to which the plan applies. Within 90 calendar days of receiving a consolidation plan, the Administrator shall approve the plan, approve the plan as modified, or grant a waiver pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section. In making his or her decision, the Administrator shall consider any recommendation from the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board regarding the plan. If the Administrator does not follow the recommendation of the Board, the Administrator shall provide a written explanation for the deviation in his or her decision. The deadlines provided in this subsection may be extended upon agreement between the Administrator and entity which submitted the plan.

(c) A waiver from a consolidation required under subsection (a) of this Section may be granted if the Administrator finds that the consolidation will result in a substantial threat to public safety, is economically unreasonable, or is technically infeasible.

(d) Any decision of the Administrator under this Section shall be deemed a final administrative decision and shall be subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.

(50 ILCS 750/15.4b new)

Sec. 15.4b. Consolidation grants.

(a) The Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, shall administer a 9-1-1 System Consolidation Grant Program to defray costs associated with 9-1-1 system consolidation of systems outside of a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000. The awarded grants will be used to offset non-recurring costs associated with the consolidation of 9-1-1 system and shall not be used for ongoing operating costs associated with the consolidated system. The Department, in consultation with the Administrator and the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, shall adopt rules defining the grant process and criteria for issuing the grants. The grants should be awarded based on criteria that include, but are not limited to:

(1) reducing the number of transfers of a 9-1-1 call;

(2) reducing the infrastructure required to adequately provide 9-1-1 network services;

(3) promoting cost savings from resource sharing among 9-1-1 systems;

(4) facilitating interoperability and resiliency for the receipt of 9-1-1 calls;

(5) reducing the number of 9-1-1 systems or reducing the number of PSAPS within a 9-1-1 System;

(6) cost saving resulting from 9-1-1 system consolidation; and

(7) expanding E9-1-1 service coverage as a result of 9-1-1 system consolidation including to areas without E9-1-1 service.

Priority shall be given first to counties not providing 9-1-1 service as of January 1, 2016, and next to other entities consolidating as required under Section 15.4a of this Act.

(b) The 9-1-1 System Consolidation Grant application, as defined by Department rules, shall be submitted electronically to the Administrator starting January 2, 2016, and every January 2 thereafter. The application shall include a modified 9-1-1 system plan as required by this Act in support of the consolidation plan. The Administrator shall have until June 30, 2016 and every June 30 thereafter to approve 9-1-1 System Consolidation grants and modified 9-1-1 system plans. Payment under the approved 9-1-1 System Consolidation grants shall be contingent upon the final approval of a modified 9-1-1 system plan.

(c) Existing and previously completed consolidation projects shall be eligible to apply for reimbursement of costs related to the consolidation incurred between 2010 and the State fiscal year of the application.

(d) The 9-1-1 systems that receive grants under this section shall provide a report detailing grant fund usage to the Administrator pursuant to Section 40 of this Act.

(50 ILCS 750/15.5)

Sec. 15.5. Private residential switch service 9-1-1 service.

(a) After June 30, 1995, an entity that provides or operates private residential switch service and provides telecommunications facilities or services to residents shall provide to those residential end users the same level of 9-1-1 service as the public agency and the telecommunications carrier are providing to other residential end users of the local 9-1-1 system. This service shall include, but not be limited to, the capability to identify the telephone number, extension number, and the physical location that is the source of the call to the number designated as the emergency telephone number.

(b) The private residential switch operator is responsible for forwarding end user automatic location identification record information to the 9-1-1 system provider according to the format, frequency, and procedures established by that system provider.

(c) This Act does not apply to any PBX telephone extension that uses radio transmissions to convey electrical signals directly between the telephone extension and the serving PBX.

(d) An entity that violates this Section is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000.

(e) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to preclude the Attorney General on behalf of the Department Commission or on his or her own initiative, or any other interested person, from seeking judicial relief, by mandamus, injunction, or otherwise, to compel compliance with this Section.

(Source: P.A. 88-604, eff. 9-1-94; 89-222, eff. 1-1-96; 89-497, eff. 6-27-96.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.6)

Sec. 15.6. Enhanced 9-1-1 service; business service.

(a) After June 30, 2000, or within 18 months after enhanced 9-1-1 service becomes available, any entity that installs or operates a private business switch service and provides telecommunications facilities or services to businesses shall assure that the system is connected to the public switched network in a manner that calls to 9-1-1 result in automatic number and location identification. For buildings having their own street address and containing workspace of 40,000 square feet or less, location identification shall include the building's street address. For buildings having their own street address and containing workspace of more than 40,000 square feet, location identification shall include the building's street address and one distinct location identification per 40,000 square feet of workspace. Separate buildings containing workspace of 40,000 square feet or less having a common public street address shall have a distinct location identification for each building in addition to the street address.

(b) Exemptions. Buildings containing workspace of more than 40,000 square feet are exempt from the multiple location identification requirements of subsection (a) if the building maintains, at all times, alternative and adequate means of signaling and responding to emergencies. Those means shall include, but not be limited to, a telephone system that provides the physical location of 9-1-1 calls coming from within the building. Health care facilities are presumed to meet the requirements of this paragraph if the facilities are staffed with medical or nursing personnel 24 hours per day and if an alternative means of providing information about the source of an emergency call exists. Buildings under this exemption must provide 9-1-1 service that provides the building's street address.

Buildings containing workspace of more than 40,000 square feet are exempt from subsection (a) if the building maintains, at all times, alternative and adequate means of signaling and responding to emergencies, including a telephone system that provides the location of a 9-1-1 call coming from within the building, and the building is serviced by its own medical, fire and security personnel. Buildings under this exemption are subject to emergency phone system certification by the Administrator Illinois Commerce Commission.

Buildings in communities not serviced by enhanced 9-1-1 service are exempt from subsection (a).

Correctional institutions and facilities, as defined in subsection (d) of Section 3-1-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections, are exempt from subsection (a).

(c) This Act does not apply to any PBX telephone extension that uses radio transmissions to convey electrical signals directly between the telephone extension and the serving PBX.

(d) An entity that violates this Section is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000.

(e) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to preclude the Attorney General on behalf of the Department Commission or on his or her own initiative, or any other interested person, from seeking judicial relief, by mandamus, injunction, or otherwise, to compel compliance with this Section.

(f) The Department may Commission shall promulgate rules for the administration of this Section no later than January 1, 2000.

(Source: P.A. 91-518, eff. 8-13-99; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-188, eff. 8-1-01.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.6a new)

Sec. 15.6a. Wireless emergency 9-1-1 service.

(a) The digits "9-1-1" shall be the designated emergency telephone number within the wireless system.

(b) The Department may set non-discriminatory and uniform technical and operational standards consistent with the rules of the Federal Communications Commission for directing calls to authorized public safety answering points. These standards shall not in any way prescribe the technology or manner a wireless carrier shall use to deliver wireless 9-1-1 or wireless E9-1-1 calls, and these standards shall not exceed the requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission; however, standards for directing calls to the authorized public safety answering point shall be included. The authority given to the Department in this Section is limited to setting standards as set forth herein and does not constitute authority to regulate wireless carriers.

(c) For the purpose of providing wireless 9-1-1 emergency services, an emergency telephone system board or, in the absence of an emergency telephone system board, a qualified governmental entity, may declare its intention for one or more of its public safety answering points to serve as a primary wireless 9-1-1 public safety answering point for its jurisdiction by notifying the Administrator in writing within 6 months after receiving its authority to operate a 9-1-1 system under this Act. In addition, 2 or more Emergency Telephone System Boards or qualified governmental entities may, by virtue of an intergovernmental agreement, provide wireless 9-1-1 service. The Department of State Police shall be the primary wireless 9-1-1 public safety answering point for any jurisdiction that did not provide notice to the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Department prior to January 1, 2016.

(d) The Administrator, upon a request from a qualified governmental entity or an emergency telephone system board and with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, may grant authority to the emergency telephone system board or a qualified governmental entity to provide wireless 9-1-1 service in areas for which the Department has accepted wireless 9-1-1 responsibility. The Administrator shall maintain a current list of all 9-1-1 systems and qualified governmental entities providing wireless 9-1-1 service under this Act.

(50 ILCS 750/15.6b new)

Sec. 15.6b. Next Generation 9-1-1 service.

(a) The Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, shall develop and implement a plan for a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 network. The Next Generation 9-1-1 network must be an Internet protocol-based platform that at a minimum provides:

(1) improved 9-1-1 call delivery;

(2) enhanced interoperability;

(3) increased ease of communication between 9-1-1 service providers, allowing immediate transfer of 9-1-1 calls, caller information, photos, and other data statewide;

(4) a hosted solution with redundancy built in; and

(5) compliance with NENA Standards i3 Solution 08-003.

(b) By July 1, 2016, the Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board, shall design and issue a competitive request for a proposal to secure the services of a consultant to complete a feasibility study on the implementation of a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 network in Illinois. By July 1, 2017, the consultant shall complete the feasibility study and make recommendations as to the appropriate procurement approach for developing a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 network.

(c) Within 12 months of the final report from the consultant under subsection (b) of this Section, the Department shall procure and finalize a contract with a vendor certified under Section 13-900 of the Public Utilities Act to establish a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 network. By July 1, 2020, the vendor shall implement a Next Generation 9-1-1 network that allows 9-1-1 systems providing 9-1-1 service to Illinois residents to access the system utilizing their current infrastructure if it meets the standards adopted by the Department.

(50 ILCS 750/15.7)

Sec. 15.7. Compliance with certification of 9-1-1 system providers by the Illinois Commerce Commission. In addition to the requirements of this Act Section, all 9-1-1 system providers must comply with the requirements of Section 13-900 of the Public Utilities Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-25, eff. 6-30-09.)

(50 ILCS 750/15.8)

Sec. 15.8. 9-1-1 dialing from a business.

(a) Any entity that installs or operates a private business switch service and provides telecommunications facilities or services to businesses shall ensure that all systems installed on or after July 1, 2015 (the effective date of Public Act 98-875) the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are connected to the public switched network in a manner such that when a user dials "9-1-1", the emergency call connects to the 9-1-1 system without first dialing any number or set of numbers.

(b) The requirements of this Section do not apply to:

(1) any entity certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission to operate a Private Emergency Answering Point as defined in 83 Ill. Adm. Code 726.105; or

(2) correctional institutions and facilities as defined in subsection (d) of Section 3-1-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections.

(c) An entity that violates this Section is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000.

(Source: P.A. 98-875, eff. 7-1-15.)

(50 ILCS 750/20 new)

Sec. 20. Statewide surcharge.

(a) On and after January 1, 2016, and except with respect to those customers who are subject to surcharges as provided in Sections 15.3 and 15.3a of this Act, a monthly surcharge shall be imposed on all customers of telecommunications carriers and wireless carriers as follows:

(1) Each telecommunications carrier shall impose a monthly surcharge of $0.87 per network connection; provided, however, the monthly surcharge shall not apply to a network connection provided for use with pay telephone services. Where multiple voice grade communications channels are connected between the subscriber's premises and a public switched network through private branch exchange (PBX) or centrex type service there shall be imposed 5 such surcharges per network connection for both regular service and advanced service provisioned trunk lines.

(2) Each wireless carrier shall impose and collect a monthly surcharge of $0.87 per CMRS connection that either has a telephone number within an area code assigned to Illinois by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator or has a billing address in this State.

(b) State and local taxes shall not apply to the surcharges imposed under this Section.

(c) The surcharges imposed by this Section shall be stated as a separately stated item on subscriber bills.

(d) The telecommunications carrier collecting the surcharge shall also be entitled to deduct 3% of the gross amount of surcharge collected to reimburse the telecommunications carrier for the expense of accounting and collecting the surcharge. On and after July 1, 2022, the wireless carrier collecting a surcharge under this Section shall be entitled to deduct up to 3% of the gross amount of the surcharge collected to reimburse the wireless carrier for the expense of accounting and collecting the surcharge.

(e) Surcharges imposed under this Section shall be collected by the carriers and, within 30 days of collection, remitted, either by check or electronic funds transfer, to the Department for deposit into the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund. Carriers are not required to remit surcharge moneys that are billed to subscribers but not yet collected.

The first remittance by wireless carriers shall include the number of subscribers by zip code, and the 9-digit zip code if currently being used or later implemented by the carrier, that shall be the means by which the Department shall determine distributions from the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund. This information shall be updated at least once each year. Any carrier that fails to provide the zip code information required under this subsection (e) shall be subject to the penalty set forth in subsection (g) of this Section.

(f) If, within 5 business days it is due under subsection (e) of this Section, a carrier does not remit the surcharge or any portion thereof required under this Section, then the surcharge or portion thereof shall be deemed delinquent until paid in full, and the Department may impose a penalty against the carrier in an amount equal to the greater of:

(1) $25 for each month or portion of a month from the time an amount becomes delinquent until the amount is paid in full; or

(2) an amount equal to the product of 1% and the sum of all delinquent amounts for each month or portion of a month that the delinquent amounts remain unpaid.

A penalty imposed in accordance with this subsection (f) for a portion of a month during which the carrier pays the delinquent amount in full shall be prorated for each day of that month that the delinquent amount was paid in full. Any penalty imposed under this subsection (f) is in addition to any other penalty imposed under this Section.

(g) If, within 5 business days after it is due, a wireless carrier does not provide the number of subscribers by zip code as required under subsection (e) of this Section, then the report is deemed delinquent and the Department may impose a penalty against the carrier in an amount equal to the greater of:

(1) $25 for each month or portion of a month that the report is delinquent; or

(2) an amount equal to the product of $0.01 and the number of subscribers served by the carrier.

A penalty imposed in accordance with this subsection (g) for a portion of a month during which the carrier provides the number of subscribers by zip code as required under subsection (e) of this Section shall be prorated for each day of that month during which the carrier had not provided the number of subscribers by zip code as required under subsection (e) of this Section. Any penalty imposed under this subsection (g) is in addition to the amount of the delinquency and is in addition to any other penalty imposed under this Section.

(h) A penalty imposed and collected in accordance with subsection (f) or (g) of this Section shall be deposited into the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund for distribution according to Section 30 of this Act.

(i) The Department may enforce the collection of any delinquent amount and any penalty due and unpaid under this Section by legal action or in any other manner by which the collection of debts due the State of Illinois may be enforced under the laws of this State. The Department may excuse the payment of any penalty imposed under this Section if the Administrator determines that the enforcement of this penalty is unjust.

(j) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, nothing shall impair the right of wireless carriers to recover compliance costs for all emergency communications services that are not reimbursed out of the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund directly from their wireless subscribers by line-item charges on the wireless subscriber's bill. Those compliance costs include all costs incurred by wireless carriers in complying with local, State, and federal regulatory or legislative mandates that require the transmission and receipt of emergency communications to and from the general public, including, but not limited to, E9-1-1.

(50 ILCS 750/30 new)

Sec. 30. Statewide 9-1-1 Fund; surcharge disbursement.

(a) A special fund in the State treasury known as the Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall be renamed the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund. Any appropriations made from the Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall be payable from the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund. The Fund shall consist of the following:

(1) 9-1-1 wireless surcharges assessed under the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act.

(2) 9-1-1 surcharges assessed under Section 20 of this Act.

(3) Prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges assessed under Section 15 of the Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act.

(4) Any appropriations, grants, or gifts made to the Fund.

(5) Any income from interest, premiums, gains, or other earnings on moneys in the Fund.

(6) Money from any other source that is deposited in or transferred to the Fund.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall distribute the 9-1-1 surcharges monthly as follows:

(1) From each surcharge collected and remitted under Section 20 of this Act:

(A) $0.013 shall be distributed monthly in equal amounts to each County Emergency Telephone System Board or qualified governmental entity in counties with a population under 100,000 according to the most recent census data which is authorized to serve as a primary wireless 9-1-1 public safety answering point for the county and to provide wireless 9-1-1 service as prescribed by subsection (b) of Section 15.6a of this Act, and which does provide such service.

(B) $0.033 shall be transferred by the Comptroller at the direction of the Department to the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund until June 30, 2017; from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, $0.026 shall be transferred; from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, $0.020 shall be transferred; from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, $0.013 shall be transferred; from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, $0.007 will be transferred; and after June 30, 2021, no transfer shall be made to the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund.

(C) $0.007 shall be used to cover the Department's administrative costs.

(2) After disbursements under paragraph (1) of this subsection (b), all remaining funds in the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund shall be disbursed in the following priority order:

(A)The Fund will pay monthly to:

(i) the 9-1-1 Authorities that imposed surcharges under Section 15.3 of this Act and were required to report to the Illinois Commerce Commission under Section 27 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act on October 1, 2014, except a 9-1-1 Authority in a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000, an amount equal to the average monthly wireline and VoIP surcharge revenue attributable to the most recent 12-month period reported to the Department under that Section for the October 1, 2014 filing, subject to the power of the Department to investigate the amount reported and adjust the number by order under Article X of the Public Utilities Act, so that the monthly amount paid under this item accurately reflects one-twelfth of the aggregate wireline and VoIP surcharge revenue properly attributable to the most recent 12-month period reported to the Commission; or

(ii) county qualified governmental entities that did not impose a surcharge under Section 15.3 as of December 31, 2015, and counties that did not impose a surcharge as of June 30, 2015, an amount equivalent to their population multiplied by .37 multiplied by the rate of $0.69; counties that are not county qualified governmental entities and that did not impose a surcharge as of December 31, 2015, shall not begin to receive the payment provided for in this subsection until E9-1-1 and Wireless E9-1-1 services are provided within their counties; or

(iii) counties without 9-1-1 service that had a surcharge in place by December 31, 2015, an amount equivalent to their population multiplied by .37 multiplied by their surcharge rate as established by the referendum.

(B) All 9-1-1 network costs for systems outside of municipalities with a population of at least 500,000 shall be paid by the Department directly to the vendors.

(C) All expenses incurred by the Administrator and the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board and costs associated with procurement under Section 15.6b including requests for information and requests for proposals.

(D) Funds may be held in reserve by the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board and disbursed by the Department for grants under Sections 15.4a, 15.4b, and for NG9-1-1 expenses up to $12.5 million per year in State fiscal years 2016 and 2017; up to $13.5 million in State fiscal year 2018; up to $14.4 million in State fiscal year 2019; up to $15.3 million in State fiscal year 2020; up to $16.2 million in State fiscal year 2021; up to $23.1 million in State fiscal year 2022; and up to $17.0 million per year for State fiscal year 2023 and each year thereafter.

(E) All remaining funds per remit month shall be used to make monthly proportional grants to the appropriate 9-1-1 Authority currently taking wireless 9-1-1 based upon the United States Postal Zip Code of the billing addresses of subscribers of wireless carriers.

(c) The moneys deposited into the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund under this Section shall not be subject to administrative charges or chargebacks unless otherwise authorized by this Act.

(d) Whenever two or more 9-1-1 Authorities consolidate, the resulting Joint Emergency Telephone System Board shall be entitled to the monthly payments that had theretofore been made to each consolidating 9-1-1 Authority. Any reserves held by any consolidating 9-1-1 Authority shall be transferred to the resulting Joint Emergency Telephone System Board. Whenever a county that has no 9-1-1 service as of January 1, 2016 enters into an agreement to consolidate to create or join a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, the Joint Emergency Telephone System Board shall be entitled to the monthly payments that would have otherwise been paid to the county if it had provided 9-1-1 service.

(50 ILCS 750/35 new)

Sec. 35. 9-1-1 surcharge; allowable expenditures. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, expenditures from surcharge revenues received under this Act may be made by municipalities, counties, and 9-1-1 Authorities only to pay for the costs associated with the following:

(1) The design of the Emergency Telephone System.

(2) The coding of an initial Master Street Address Guide database, and update and maintenance thereof.

(3) The repayment of any moneys advanced for the implementation of the system.

(4) The charges for Automatic Number Identification and Automatic Location Identification equipment, a computer aided dispatch system that records, maintains, and integrates information, mobile data transmitters equipped with automatic vehicle locators, and maintenance, replacement, and update thereof to increase operational efficiency and improve the provision of emergency services.

(5) The non-recurring charges related to installation of the Emergency Telephone System.

(6) The acquisition and installation, or the reimbursement of costs therefor to other governmental bodies that have incurred those costs, of road or street signs that are essential to the implementation of the Emergency Telephone System and that are not duplicative of signs that are the responsibility of the jurisdiction charged with maintaining road and street signs.

(7) Other products and services necessary for the implementation, upgrade, and maintenance of the system and any other purpose related to the operation of the system, including costs attributable directly to the construction, leasing, or maintenance of any buildings or facilities or costs of personnel attributable directly to the operation of the system. Costs attributable directly to the operation of an emergency telephone system do not include the costs of public safety agency personnel who are and equipment that is dispatched in response to an emergency call.

(8) The defraying of expenses incurred to implement Next Generation 9-1-1, subject to the conditions set forth in this Act.

(9) The implementation of a computer aided dispatch system or hosted supplemental 9-1-1 services.

(10) The design, implementation, operation, maintenance, or upgrade of wireless 9-1-1 or E9-1-1 emergency services and public safety answering points.

Moneys in the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund may also be transferred to a participating fire protection district to reimburse volunteer firefighters who man remote telephone switching facilities when dedicated 9-1-1 lines are down.

In the case of a municipality with a population over 500,000, moneys may also be used for any anti-terrorism or emergency preparedness measures, including, but not limited to, preparedness planning, providing local matching funds for federal or State grants, personnel training, and specialized equipment, including surveillance cameras, as needed to deal with natural and terrorist-inspired emergency situations or events.

(50 ILCS 750/40 new)

Sec. 40. Financial reports.

(a) The Department shall create uniform accounting procedures, with such modification as may be required to give effect to statutory provisions applicable only to municipalities with a population in excess of 500,000, that any emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government receiving surcharge money pursuant to Section 15.3, 15.3a, or 30 of this Act must follow.

(b) By October 1, 2016, and every October 1 thereafter, each emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government receiving surcharge money pursuant to Section 15.3, 15.3a, or 30 shall report to the Department audited financial statements showing total revenue and expenditures for previous fiscal year in a form and manner as prescribed by the Department. Such financial information shall include:

(1) a detailed summary of revenue from all sources including, but not limited to, local, State, federal, and private revenues, and any other funds received;

(2) operating expenses, capital expenditures, and cash balances; and

(3) such other financial information that is relevant to the provision of 9-1-1 services as determined by the Department.

The emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government is responsible for any costs associated with auditing such financial statements. The Department shall post the audited financial statements on the Department's website.

(c) Along with its audited financial statement, each emergency telephone system board, qualified governmental entity, or unit of local government receiving a grant under Section 15.4b of this Act shall include a report of the amount of grant moneys received and how the grant moneys were used. In case of a conflict between this requirement and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act, or with the rules of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget adopted thereunder, that Act and those rules shall control.

(d) If an emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity that receives funds from the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund fails to file the 9-1-1 system financial reports as required under this Section, the Department shall suspend and withhold monthly disbursements otherwise due to the emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity under Section 30 of this Act until the report is filed.

Any monthly disbursements that have been withheld for 12 months or more shall be forfeited by the emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity and shall be distributed proportionally by the Department to compliant emergency telephone system boards and qualified governmental entities that receive funds from the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund.

Any emergency telephone system board or qualified governmental entity not in compliance with this Section shall be ineligible to receive any consolidation grant or infrastructure grant issued under this Act.

(e) The Department may adopt emergency rules necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

(50 ILCS 750/45 new)

Sec. 45. Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund.

(a) A special fund in the State treasury known as the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund, which was created previously under Section 30 of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act, shall continue in existence without interruption notwithstanding the repeal of that Act. Moneys in the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund may be used, subject to appropriation, only (i) to reimburse wireless carriers for all of their costs incurred in complying with the applicable provisions of Federal Communications Commission wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service mandates, and (ii) to pay the reasonable and necessary costs of the Illinois Commerce Commission in exercising its rights, duties, powers, and functions under this Act. This reimbursement to wireless carriers may include, but need not be limited to, the cost of designing, upgrading, purchasing, leasing, programming, installing, testing, and maintaining necessary data, hardware, and software and associated operating and administrative costs and overhead.

(b) To recover costs from the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund, the wireless carrier shall submit sworn invoices to the Illinois Commerce Commission. In no event may any invoice for payment be approved for (i) costs that are not related to compliance with the requirements established by the wireless enhanced 9-1-1 mandates of the Federal Communications Commission, or (ii) costs with respect to any wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service that is not operable at the time the invoice is submitted.

(c) If in any month the total amount of invoices submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission and approved for payment exceeds the amount available in the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund, wireless carriers that have invoices approved for payment shall receive a pro-rata share of the amount available in the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund based on the relative amount of their approved invoices available that month, and the balance of the payments shall be carried into the following months until all of the approved payments are made.

(d) A wireless carrier may not receive payment from the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund for its costs of providing wireless enhanced 9-1-1 services in an area when a unit of local government or emergency telephone system board provides wireless 9-1-1 services in that area and was imposing and collecting a wireless carrier surcharge prior to July 1, 1998.

(e) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall maintain detailed records of all receipts and disbursements and shall provide an annual accounting of all receipts and disbursements to the Auditor General.

(f) The Illinois Commerce Commission must annually review the balance in the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund as of June 30 of each year and shall direct the Comptroller to transfer into the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund for distribution in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 30 of this Act any amount in excess of outstanding invoices as of June 30 of each year.

(g) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall adopt rules to govern the reimbursement process.

(50 ILCS 750/50 new)

Sec. 50. Fund audits. The Auditor General shall conduct as a part of its bi-annual audit, an audit of the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund and the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund for compliance with the requirements of this Act. The audit shall include, but not be limited to, the following determinations:

(1) Whether detailed records of all receipts and disbursements from the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund and the Wireless Carrier Reimbursement Fund are being maintained.

(2) Whether administrative costs charged to the funds are adequately documented and are reasonable.

(3) Whether the procedures for making disbursements and grants and providing reimbursements in accordance with the Act are adequate.

(4) The status of the implementation of statewide 9-1-1 service and Next Generation 9-1-1 service in Illinois.

The Illinois Commerce Commission, the Department of State Police, and any other entity or person that may have information relevant to the audit shall cooperate fully and promptly with the Office of the Auditor General in conducting the audit. The Auditor General shall commence the audit as soon as possible and distribute the report upon completion in accordance with Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act.

(50 ILCS 750/55 new)

Sec. 55. Public disclosure. Because of the highly competitive nature of the wireless telephone industry, public disclosure of information about surcharge moneys paid by wireless carriers could have the effect of stifling competition to the detriment of the public and the delivery of wireless 9-1-1 services. Therefore, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Department of State Police, governmental agencies, and individuals with access to that information shall take appropriate steps to prevent public disclosure of this information. Information and data supporting the amount and distribution of surcharge moneys collected and remitted by an individual wireless carrier shall be deemed exempt information for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act and shall not be publicly disclosed. The gross amount paid by all carriers shall not be deemed exempt and may be publicly disclosed.

(50 ILCS 750/60 new)

Sec. 60. Interconnected VoIP providers. Interconnected VoIP providers in Illinois shall be subject in a competitively neutral manner to the same provisions of this Act as are provided for telecommunications carriers. Interconnected VoIP services shall not be considered an intrastate telecommunications service for the purposes of this Act in a manner inconsistent with federal law or Federal Communications Commission regulation.

(50 ILCS 750/2.01 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.02 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.03 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.04 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.05 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.06 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.06a rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.07 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.08 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.09 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.10 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.11 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.12 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.13 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.14 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.15 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.16 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.17 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.18 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.19 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.20 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.21 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.22 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.23 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.24 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.25 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.26 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.27 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/2.28 rep.)

(50 ILCS 750/9 rep.)

Section 2-15. The Emergency Telephone System Act is amended by repealing Sections 2.01, 2.02, 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.06a, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21, 2.22, 2.23, 2.24, 2.25, 2.26, 2.27, 2.28, and 9.

Section 2-25. The Prepaid Wireless 9-1-1 Surcharge Act is amended by changing Section 20 as follows:

(50 ILCS 753/20)

Sec. 20. Administration of prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharge.

(a) In the administration and enforcement of this Act, the provisions of Sections 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5i, 5j, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act that are not inconsistent with this Act, and Section 3-7 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act shall apply, as far as practicable, to the subject matter of this Act to the same extent as if those provisions were included in this Act. References to "taxes" in these incorporated Sections shall be construed to apply to the administration, payment, and remittance of all surcharges under this Act. The Department shall establish registration and payment procedures that substantially coincide with the registration and payment procedures that apply to the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(b) A For the first 12 months after the effective date of this Act, a seller shall be permitted to deduct and retain 5% of prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges that are collected by the seller from consumers and that are remitted and timely filed with the Department. After the first 12 months, a seller shall be permitted to deduct and retain 3% of prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges that are collected by the seller from consumers and that are remitted and timely filed with the Department.

(c) Other than the amounts for deposit into the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund, the Department shall pay to the State Treasurer all prepaid wireless E911 charges, and penalties, and interest collected under this Act for deposit into the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund Wireless Service Emergency Fund. On or before the 25th day of each calendar month, the Department shall prepare and certify to the Comptroller the amount available to the Department of State Police Illinois Commerce Commission for distribution out of the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund Wireless Service Emergency Fund. The amount certified shall be the amount (not including credit memoranda) collected during the second preceding calendar month by the Department plus an amount the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were erroneously paid to a different taxing body. The amount paid to the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall not include any amount equal to the amount of refunds made during the second preceding calendar month by the Department of Revenue to retailers under this Act or any amount that the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were payable to a different taxing body but were erroneously paid to the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund Wireless Service Emergency Fund. The Department of State Police Illinois Commerce Commission shall distribute the funds in the same proportion as they are distributed under the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act and the funds may only be used in accordance with Section 30 the provisions of the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act. The Department may deduct an amount, not to exceed 3% during the first year following the effective date of this Act and not to exceed 2% during every year thereafter of remitted charges, to be transferred into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund to reimburse the Department for its direct costs of administering the collection and remittance of prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges.

(d) The Department shall administer the collection of all 9-1-1 surcharges and may adopt and enforce reasonable rules relating to the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this Act as may be deemed expedient. The Department shall require all surcharges collected under this Act to be reported on existing forms or combined forms, including, but not limited to, Form ST-1. Any overpayments received by the Department for liabilities reported on existing or combined returns shall be applied as an overpayment of retailers' occupation tax, use tax, service occupation tax, or service use tax liability.

(e) If a home rule municipality having a population in excess of 500,000 as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly imposes an E911 surcharge under subsection (a-5) of Section 15 of this Act, then the Department shall pay to the State Treasurer all prepaid wireless E911 charges, penalties, and interest collected for deposit into the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund. All deposits into the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall be held by the State Treasurer as ex officio custodian apart from all public moneys or funds of this State. Any interest attributable to moneys in the Fund must be deposited into the Fund. Moneys in the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund are not subject to appropriation. On or before the 25th day of each calendar month, the Department shall prepare and certify to the Comptroller the amount available for disbursement to the home rule municipality out of the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund. The amount to be paid to the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall be the amount (not including credit memoranda) collected during the second preceding calendar month by the Department plus an amount the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were erroneously paid to a different taxing body. The amount paid to the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund shall not include any amount equal to the amount of refunds made during the second preceding calendar month by the Department to retailers under this Act or any amount that the Department determines is necessary to offset any amounts which were payable to a different taxing body but were erroneously paid to the Municipal Wireless Service Emergency Fund. Within 10 days after receipt by the Comptroller of the certification provided for in this subsection, the Comptroller shall cause the orders to be drawn for the respective amounts in accordance with the directions in the certification. The Department may deduct an amount, not to exceed 3% during the first year following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly and not to exceed 2% during every year thereafter of remitted charges, to be transferred into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund to reimburse the Department for its direct costs of administering the collection and remittance of prepaid wireless 9-1-1 surcharges.

(Source: P.A. 97-463, eff. 1-1-12; 97-748, eff. 7-6-12.)

ARTICLE III

Section 3-99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law, except that Article II of this Act takes effect on January 1, 2016.".