§9211. ConnectME Fund

1.  ConnectME Fund established.  The ConnectME Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund administered by the authority for the purposes of supporting the activities and projects of the authority under this chapter.

[PL 2005, c. 665, §3 (NEW).]

2.  Assessment.  After receiving authorization pursuant to Title 5, section 8072 to finally adopt major substantive rules under section 9205, subsection 3 or after January 15, 2007, whichever is later, the authority may require every communications service provider to contribute on a competitively neutral basis to the fund. The assessment may not exceed 0.25% of the revenue received or collected for all communications services provided in this State by the communications service provider. A facilities-based provider of wireless voice or data retail service may voluntarily agree to be assessed by the authority as a communications service provider under this subsection.

[PL 2005, c. 665, §3 (NEW).]

2-A.  Surcharge; collection.  Beginning January 1, 2020, in addition to the assessment imposed pursuant to subsection 2, a ConnectME surcharge of 10¢ per line or number is imposed. The assessment imposed pursuant to subsection 2 and the surcharge imposed pursuant to this subsection must be collected from the customer on a monthly basis by each communications service provider. Revenue must be deposited in the fund.

[PL 2019, c. 343, Pt. SSSS, §3 (NEW).]

3.  Explicit identification of assessment and surcharge on customer bills.  A communications service provider assessed pursuant to subsection 2 may recover the amount of the assessment from the provider's customers. If a provider recovers the amount from its customers, it must explicitly identify the amount owed by a customer on the customer's bill and indicate that the funds are collected for use in the ConnectME Fund. Beginning January 1, 2020, the ConnectME surcharge imposed pursuant to subsection 2‑A must be shown separately from the assessment imposed pursuant to subsection 2 as a statewide ConnectME surcharge on the customer's bill.

[PL 2019, c. 343, Pt. SSSS, §4 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2005, c. 665, §3 (NEW). PL 2019, c. 343, Pt. SSSS, §§3, 4 (AMD).