1. (a) Purpose. The purpose of the Texas Universal Service Fund is to implement a competitively neutral mechanism that enables all residents of the state to obtain the basic telecommunications services needed to communicate with other residents, businesses, and governmental entities. Because targeted financial support may be needed in order to provide and price basic telecommunications services in a manner to allow accessibility by consumers, the TUSF will assist local exchange companies (LECs) in providing basic local telecommunications service at reasonable rates in high cost rural areas. In addition, the TUSF will reimburse qualifying entities for revenues lost as a result of providing Lifeline, Link Up and Tel-assistance services to qualifying low-income consumers under the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA); reimburse telecommunications carriers providing statewide telecommunications relay access service and qualified vendors providing specialized telecommunications device distribution service for the hearing-impaired and speech-impaired; and reimburse the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the TUSF administrator, and the Public Utility Commission for costs incurred in implementing the provisions of PURA Chapter 56 (relating to Telecommunications Assistance and Universal Service Fund).

2. (b) Programs included in the TUSF.

   1. (1) Section 26.403 of this title (relating to the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan (THCUSP));
   2. (2) Section 26.404 of this title (relating to the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange Company (ILEC) Universal Service Plan);
   3. (3) Section 26.406 of this title (relating to the Implementation of the Public Utility Regulatory Act §56.025);
   4. (4) Section 26.408 of this title (relating to Additional Financial Assistance (AFA));
   5. (5) Section 26.412 of this title (relating to Lifeline and Link Up Service);
   6. (6) Section 26.413 of this title (relating to Tel-Assistance Service);
   7. (7) Section 26.414 of this title (relating to Telecommunications Relay Service);
   8. (8) Section 26.415 of this title (relating to Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP);
   9. (9) Section 26.417 of this title (relating to Designation of Local Exchange Companies as Eligible Telecommunications Providers to Receive Texas Universal Service Funds (TUSF));
   10. (10) Section 26.418 of this title (relating to Designation of Common Carriers as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers to Receive Federal Universal Service Funds (FUSF)); and
   11. (11) Section 26.420 of this title (relating to Administration of the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF)).

Source Note:The provisions of this §26.401 adopted to be effective August 10, 1999, 24 TexReg 6035.