(a)  The administrator shall determine the expenses of the division of public utilities and carriers associated with the regulation of operational community antenna television systems, including the cost of division personnel and consultants performing duties directly associated with the systems for each upcoming year. The administrator shall apportion and assess one hundred percent (100%) of the expenses among the several operating CATV franchise holders located in this state in the proportion that the gross revenue of each CATV franchise shall bear to the gross revenues of all of the CATV franchises issued and operational; provided, however, that the sum so apportioned and assessed shall not exceed three percent (3%) of any individual CATV franchise holder’s gross revenues. The sum so apportioned and assessed shall be in addition to any taxes payable to the state under any other provision of law.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-19-9

  • Administrator: means the administrator of the division of public utilities and carriers. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • CATV: as used in this chapter shall mean and include the ownership or operation of a cable television system that receives video or audio signals, electrical impulses, or currents at a central antenna or electronic control center within this state and from which it distributes or transmits such signals, impulses, or currents by a cable or wire system to electronic equipment at a customer's terminal point within this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-19-1
  • Commission: means the public utilities commission. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Division: means the division of public utilities and carriers. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.

(b)  CATV franchise awardees that have received compliance-order certificates but have not received operational certificates shall be assessed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for any fiscal year in which they are franchised but not in operation.

(c)  The administrator shall apply any budgetary balance or shortfalls from the preceding annual assessment toward the next fiscal year assessment.

(d)  Upon collection from the several franchise holders operating in this state, assessments shall be deposited in the public utilities commission funding account as established pursuant to § 39-1-23. The moneys deposited in the public utilities commission funding account pursuant to this section shall be expended at the discretion of the administrator for meeting CATV related operations expenses of the division.

History of Section.
P.L. 1980, ch. 337, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 209, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 65, art. 42, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 44, art. 10, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 332, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 365, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 150, § 1; P.L. 2010, ch. 23, art. 12, § 1.