Rule 515-12-1-.38 - Telecommunications Relay Service(1)Monthly Maintenance Surcharge. All local exchange telephone companies in this state, except those operated by telephone membership corporations, shall impose a monthly maintenance surcharge on all residential and business local exchange access facilities. "Exchange access facility" means the access from a particular telephone subscriber's premise to the telephone system of a local exchange telephone company. "Exchange access facility" includes local exchange company provided access lines, private branch exchange trunks, and centrex network access registers, all as defined by tariffs of telephone companies as approved by the Commission or where approval is not required as published online on the telephone companies' websites. The amount of the surcharge shall be determined by the Commission based upon the amount of funding necessary to accomplish the purposes of O.C.G.A. § 46-5-30 and provide the services on an ongoing basis: however, in no case shall the amount exceed 20¢ per month.(2)Surcharge Language. The Monthly Maintenance Surcharge shall appear on customer bills as "Georgia Telecommunications Relay Service Surcharge." If the number of characters in "Georgia Telecommunications Relay Service Surcharge" exceeds the number of characters in the local exchange carrier's billing software or if the full text will not fit on one line, "Georgia TRS Surcharge" may be used instead.(3)Quarterly Reports and Remission of Funds. Each local exchange carrier that is required to impose the Monthly Maintenance Surcharge shall submit quarterly via email a report to the Commission Staff indicating the monies collected from its customers during each quarter. The report shall be submitted to Staff and the monies collected from customers shall be remitted to the fund designated for the Telecommunications Relay Service no later than the thirtieth calendar day following the close of each quarter beginning with the fourth quarter of calendar year 2022.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 515-12-1-.38
O.C.G.A. §§ 46-2-20, 46-2-30, 46-5-30.
Original Rule entitled "Telecommunications Relay Service" adopted. F. Sep. 1, 2022; eff. Sep. 21, 2022.