(a) There is established an account to be known as the “public, educational and governmental programming and education technology investment account”, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any interest or penalties collected by the Commissioner of Revenue Services pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section.
(b) The moneys in said account shall be expended by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority as follows: (1) Fifty per cent of said moneys shall be available to local community antenna television and video advisory councils; the state-wide video advisory council; public, educational and governmental programmers and public, educational and governmental studio operators to subsidize capital and equipment costs related to producing and procuring such programming, and (2) fifty per cent of said moneys shall be available to boards of education and other education entities for education technology initiatives.
(c) (1) The account shall be supported solely through a tax equal to one-half of one per cent of the gross earnings from rendering community antenna television service, video programming service by satellite and certified competitive video service in this state for quarterly periods beginning on or after October 1, 2007, and before October 1, 2009, and a tax equal to one-quarter of one per cent of the gross earnings from rendering community antenna television service, video programming service by satellite and certified competitive video service in this state for quarterly periods beginning on or after October 1, 2009, by each person operating a community antenna television system under this chapter or a certified competitive video service pursuant to sections 16-331e to 16-331p, inclusive, and each person operating a business that provides one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming by satellite. Such tax for a quarterly period shall be remitted to the Department of Revenue Services, on or before the last day of the month next succeeding the quarterly period, on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Revenue Services, which form shall be signed by the person performing the duties of treasurer or an authorized agent or officer. For the purposes of this section, gross earnings in this state shall be determined in a manner consistent with chapter 211.
(2) The amount of any tax due and unpaid under this section shall be subject to the penalties and interest established in sections 12-268d and 12-268e, and the taxpayer from which such tax is due and unpaid shall be subject to the administrative provisions of sections 12-268f, 12-268g, 12-268i and 12-268l. The amount of any tax, penalty or interest due and unpaid under this section may be collected under the provisions of section 12-35.
(d) On or before October 1, 2007, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall initiate a contested case proceeding to establish eligibility requirements and procedures for applying for allocations from the account. On or before April 1, 2008, the authority shall issue a final decision in the contested case proceeding. Such decision shall include any recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly that the authority deems necessary with regard to the ongoing operation of the account.
(e) For purposes of this section, a holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority pursuant to section 16-331p shall be treated as a person operating a community antenna television system pursuant to this chapter and community antenna television service shall include service provided by a holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority pursuant to section 16-331p.
(f) The Comptroller shall deposit into the public, educational and governmental programming and education technology investment account, established pursuant to this section, the total of the tax imposed on community antenna television service, video programming service by satellite and certified competitive video service pursuant to this section.
(g) When the balance of said account reaches more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, the authority shall make a one-time transfer of one hundred fifty thousand dollars to the Office of Legislative Management for expenses related to the allowance of interconnection of the Connecticut Television Network with a certified competitive video service provider, as defined in section 16-1, for the purpose of making the Connecticut Television Network available to such provider's customers.
(P.A. 07-253, S. 33, 43; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 9; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 183; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-299, S. 17; P.A. 17-147, S. 40.)
History: P.A. 07-253, S. 33, codified as Subsecs. (a) to (e), effective July 1, 2007, and S. 43, codified as Subsec. (f), effective October 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (a) to reference any interest or penalties collected pursuant to Subsec. (c)(2), inserted Subdiv. designators in Subsec. (c), amended Subsec. (c)(1) to reference “quarterly periods” and delete references to the fiscal year, require tax to be remitted on or before the last day of month next succeeding the quarterly period, on a form signed by the person performing duties of treasurer or an authorized agent or officer, and substitute “gross earnings” for “gross receipts”, and inserted Subsec. (c)(2) re interest and penalties on tax due and unpaid, effective October 6, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 added Subsec. (g) re one-time transfer, effective October 5, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Public Utility Control” and “department” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” and “authority”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to delete reference to state-wide community antenna television advisory council, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 17-147 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to add reference to Sec. 12-268e and add provision re administrative provisions to which taxpayer from which tax is due and unpaid shall be subject, effective July 7, 2017.