69-3-870. Performance assurance state special revenue account — statutory appropriation. (1) There is a performance assurance state special revenue account in the state special revenue fund. The account must be used for the deposit of payments to the state made by a telecommunications carrier pursuant to the terms of a performance assurance plan.

Terms Used In Montana Code 69-3-870

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • carrier: means any provider of telecommunications services. See Montana Code 69-3-803
  • Commission: means the public service commission. See Montana Code 69-3-803
  • Fund: means the universal service fund established in 69-3-842. See Montana Code 69-3-803
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
  • Telecommunications: means the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing without a change in the form or content of the information upon receipt. See Montana Code 69-3-803

(2)Money in the performance assurance state special revenue account is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, and may be expended by the commission in carrying out its responsibilities to administer, audit, and oversee the performance assurance plan, pursuant to the terms of the plan.

(3)For purposes of this section, a “performance assurance plan” means a commission-approved, self-executing remedy plan to ensure that a telecommunications carrier provides adequate wholesale service to competitors after the carrier gains entry into the interlocal access and transport area long-distance market in its region pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 271.