AR HB1062

Authorizes the Arkansas Public Service Commission to impose surcharges of up to $0.03 per subject access line per month and $0.03 per working subject telephone number per month to fund the equipment distribution program under § 20-79-401 et seq.

Requires surcharges imposed on local exchange carriers and commercial mobile radio service providers to be identical and excludes prepaid wireless telephone service from the surcharge requirements.

Mandates that collected surcharges be remitted to the Department of Finance and Administration for deposit into the Telecommunications Equipment Fund created in § 19-6-482.

Provides that surcharge collection shall cease if revenues exceed three-year average program expenditures and the surplus reaches that threshold, resuming only after half the surplus is exhausted.

Declares an emergency and sets the effective date of July 1, 2011, to allow implementation at the beginning of the state's fiscal year.