S.B. No. 1087
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to state-issued certificates of franchise authority to
  provide cable service and video service.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 66.003, Utilities Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  An entity or person seeking to provide cable service or
  video service in this state [after September 1, 2005,] shall file an
  application for a state-issued certificate of franchise authority
  with the commission as required by this section.  An entity
  providing cable service or video service under a franchise
  agreement with a municipality is not subject to this subsection
  with respect to such municipality until the franchise agreement is
  terminated under Section 66.004 or until the franchise agreement
  expires[, except as provided by Section 66.004].
         SECTION 2.  Section 66.004, Utilities Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (c), and (f) and adding Subsections
  (b-1), (b-2), and (b-3) to read as follows:
         (a)  A cable service provider or a video service provider
  that currently has or had previously received a franchise to
  provide cable service or video service with respect to such
  municipalities is not eligible to seek a state-issued certificate
  of franchise authority under this chapter as to those
  municipalities until the expiration date of the existing franchise
  agreement, except as provided by Subsections (b), (b-1), (b-2),
  (b-3), and (c).
         (b-1)  Beginning September 1, 2011, a cable service provider
  or video service provider in a municipality with a population of
  less than 215,000 that was not allowed to or did not terminate a
  municipal franchise under Subsection (b) may elect to terminate not
  less than all unexpired franchises in municipalities with a
  population of less than 215,000 and seek a state-issued certificate
  of franchise authority for each area served under a terminated
  municipal franchise by providing written notice to the commission
  and each affected municipality before January 1, 2012.  A municipal
  franchise is terminated on the date the commission issues a
  state-issued certificate of franchise authority to the provider for
  the area served under that terminated franchise.
         (b-2)  A cable service provider or video service provider in
  a municipality with a population of at least 215,000 may terminate a
  municipal franchise in that municipality in the manner described by
  Subsection (b-1) if:
               (1)  the cable service provider or video service
  provider is not the incumbent cable service provider in that
  municipality; and
               (2)  the incumbent cable service provider received a
  state-issued certificate of franchise authority from the
  commission before September 1, 2011.
         (b-3)  A municipality with a population of at least 215,000
  may enter into an agreement with any cable service provider in the
  municipality to terminate a municipal cable franchise before the
  expiration of the franchise.  To the extent that the mutually agreed
  on terms and conditions for early termination of the unexpired
  municipal cable franchise conflict with a provision of this
  chapter, the agreed on terms and conditions control.
         (c)  A cable service provider [that serves fewer than 40
  percent of the total cable customers in a municipal franchise area
  and] that elects under Subsection (b), (b-1), or (b-2) to terminate
  an existing municipal franchise is responsible for remitting to the
  affected municipality before the 91st day after the date the
  municipal franchise is terminated any accrued but unpaid franchise
  fees due under the terminated franchise.  If the cable service
  provider has credit remaining from prepaid franchise fees, the
  provider may deduct the amount of the remaining credit from any
  future fees or taxes it must pay to the municipality, either
  directly or through the comptroller.
         (f)  Except as provided in this chapter, nothing in this
  chapter is intended to abrogate, nullify, or adversely affect in
  any way the contractual rights, duties, and obligations existing
  and incurred by a cable service provider or a video service provider
  before the date a franchise expires or the date a provider
  terminates a franchise under Subsection (b-1) or (b-2), as
  applicable, [enactment of this chapter,] and owed or owing to any
  private person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity
  including without limitation those obligations measured by and
  related to the gross revenue hereafter received by the holder of a
  state-issued certificate of franchise authority for services
  provided in the geographic area to which such prior franchise or
  permit applies.  All liens, security interests, royalties, and
  other contracts, rights, and interests in effect on September 1,
  2005, or the date a franchise is terminated under Subsection (b-1)
  or (b-2) shall continue in full force and effect, without the
  necessity for renewal, extension, or continuance, and shall be paid
  and performed by the holder of a state-issued certificate of
  franchise authority, and shall apply as though the revenue
  generated by the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise
  authority continued to be generated pursuant to the permit or
  franchise issued by the prior local franchising authority or
  municipality within the geographic area to which the prior permit
  or franchise applies.  It shall be a condition to the issuance and
  continuance of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority
  that the private contractual rights and obligations herein
  described continue to be honored, paid, or performed to the same
  extent as though the cable service provider continued to operate
  under its prior franchise or permit, for the duration of such
  state-issued certificate of franchise authority and any renewals or
  extensions thereof, and that the applicant so agrees.  Any person,
  firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity holding or claiming
  rights herein reserved may enforce same by an action brought in a
  court of competent jurisdiction.
         SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 66.005, Utilities Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The franchise fee payable under this section is to be
  paid quarterly, within 45 days after the end of the quarter for the
  preceding calendar quarter.  Each payment shall be accompanied by a
  summary explaining the basis for the calculation of the fee.  A
  municipality may review the business records of the cable service
  provider or video service provider to the extent necessary to
  ensure compensation in accordance with Subsection (a), provided
  that the municipality may only review records that relate to the
  48-month period preceding the date of the last franchise fee
  payment.  Each party shall bear the party's own costs of the
  examination.  A municipality may, in the event of a dispute
  concerning compensation under this section, bring an action in a
  court of competent jurisdiction.
         SECTION 4.  Section 66.006, Utilities Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 66.006.  IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUNICIPALITY.  
  (a)  Until the expiration or termination of the incumbent cable
  service provider's agreement, the holder of a state-issued
  certificate of franchise authority shall pay a municipality in
  which it is offering cable service or video service the same cash
  payments on a per subscriber basis as required by the incumbent
  cable service provider's franchise agreement.  All cable service
  providers and all video service providers shall report quarterly to
  the municipality the total number of subscribers served within the
  municipality.  The amount paid by the holder of a state-issued
  certificate of franchise authority shall be calculated quarterly by
  the municipality by multiplying the amount of cash payment under
  the incumbent cable service provider's franchise agreement by a
  number derived by dividing the number of subscribers served by a
  video service provider or cable service provider by the total
  number of video or cable service subscribers in the municipality.  
  Such pro rata payments are to be paid quarterly to the municipality
  within 45 days after the end of the quarter for the preceding
  calendar quarter.
         (b)  On the expiration or termination of the incumbent cable
  service provider's agreement, the holder of a state-issued
  certificate of franchise authority shall pay a municipality in
  which it is offering cable service or video service one percent of
  the provider's gross revenues, as defined by this chapter, or at the
  municipality's election, the per subscriber fee that was paid to
  the municipality under the expired or terminated incumbent cable
  service provider's agreement, in lieu of in-kind compensation and
  grants.  Payments under this subsection shall be paid in the same
  manner as outlined in Section 66.005(b).
         (c)  All fees paid to municipalities under this section are
  paid in accordance with 47 U.S.C. Sections 531 and 541(a)(4)(B) and
  may be used by the municipality as allowed by federal law; further,
  these payments are not chargeable as a credit against the franchise
  fee payments authorized under this chapter.
         (c-1)  The holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise
  authority shall include with a fee paid to a municipality under this
  section a statement identifying the fee.
         (c-2)  A municipality that receives fees under this section:
               (1)  shall maintain revenue from the fees in a separate
  account established for that purpose;
               (2)  may not commingle revenue from the fees with any
  other money;
               (3)  shall maintain a record of each deposit to and
  disbursement from the separate account, including a record of the
  payee and purpose of each disbursement; and
               (4)  may not spend revenue from the fees except
  directly from the separate account.
         (d)  The following services shall continue to be provided by
  the cable provider that was furnishing services pursuant to its
  municipal cable franchise [until January 1, 2008, or] until the
  expiration or termination [term] of the franchise [was to expire,
  whichever is later,] and thereafter as provided in Subdivisions (1)
  and (2) below:
               (1)  institutional network capacity, however defined
  or referred to in the municipal cable franchise but generally
  referring to a private line data network capacity for use by the
  municipality for noncommercial purposes, shall continue to be
  provided at the same capacity as was provided to the municipality
  prior to the date of expiration or [the] termination, provided that
  the municipality will compensate the provider for the actual
  incremental cost of the capacity; and
               (2)  cable services to community public buildings, such
  as municipal buildings and public schools, shall continue to be
  provided to the same extent provided immediately prior to the date
  of the termination.  On [Beginning on January 1, 2008, or] the
  expiration or termination of the franchise agreement, [whichever is
  later,] a provider that provides the services may deduct from the
  franchise fee to be paid to the municipality an amount equal to the
  actual incremental cost of the services if the municipality
  requires the services after that date.  Such cable service
  generally refers to the existing cable drop connections to such
  facilities and the tier of cable service provided pursuant to the
  franchise at the time of the expiration or termination.
         SECTION 5.  Subsections (c) and (h), Section 66.009,
  Utilities Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  If a municipality did not have the maximum number of PEG
  access channels as of September 1, 2005, as provided by
  Subdivisions (1) and (2) based on the municipality's population on
  that date, the cable service provider or video service provider
  shall furnish at the request of the municipality:
               (1)  up to three PEG channels for a municipality with a
  population of at least 50,000; and
               (2)  up to two PEG channels for a municipality with a
  population of less than 50,000.
         (h)  Where technically feasible, the holder of a
  state-issued certificate of franchise authority that is not an
  incumbent cable service provider and an incumbent cable service
  provider, including an incumbent cable service provider that holds
  a state-issued certificate of franchise authority issued under
  Section 66.004(b-1), shall use reasonable efforts to interconnect
  their cable or video systems for the purpose of providing PEG
  programming.  Interconnection may be accomplished by direct cable,
  microwave link, satellite, or other reasonable method of
  connection.  The holder [Holders] of a state-issued certificate of
  franchise authority and the incumbent cable service provider 
  [providers] shall negotiate in good faith, and the incumbent cable
  service provider [providers] may not withhold interconnection of
  PEG channels.
         SECTION 6.  (a)  A municipality that received fees described
  by Subsection (c), Section 66.006, Utilities Code, before September
  1, 2011, shall, on September 1, 2011, transfer any fees that have
  not been disbursed to a separate account as required by Subsection
  (c-2), Section 66.006, Utilities Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act in adding Subdivision
  (3), Subsection (c-2), Section 66.006, Utilities Code, applies only
  to transfers, deposits, and disbursements made on or after the
  effective date of this Act.  A transfer, deposit, or disbursement
  made before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect on the date the transfer, deposit, or disbursement was made,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1087 passed the Senate on
  April 6, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 26, Nays 5;
  May 17, 2011, Senate refused to concur in House amendment and
  requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 24, 2011, House
  granted request of the Senate; May 28, 2011, Senate adopted
  Conference Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 28,
  Nays 3.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1087 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 12, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 145,
  Nays 1, two present not voting; May 24, 2011, House granted request
  of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
  May 28, 2011, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
  following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
             Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor