196.858 Assessment for telephone relay service.
(1) The commission shall annually assess against local exchange and interexchange telecommunications utilities the total, not to exceed $5,000,000, of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.155 (1) (i).
(2) The commission shall assess a sum equal to the annual total amount under sub. (1) to local exchange and interexchange telecommunications utilities in proportion to their gross operating revenues during the last calendar year. If total expenditures for telecommunications relay service exceeded the payment made under this section in the prior year, the commission shall charge the remainder to assessed telecommunications utilities in proportion to their gross operating revenues during the last calendar year. A telecommunications utility shall pay the assessment within 30 days after the bill has been mailed to the assessed telecommunication utility. The bill constitutes notice of the assessment and demand of payment. Payments shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (1) (i).
(3) Section 196.85 (3) to (8), as it applies to assessments under s. 196.85 (1) or (2), applies to assessments under this section.
(5) A telecommunications utility may not recover the assessment under this section by billing a customer for the assessment on a separate line in a billing statement.
History: 1989 a. 336; 1991 a. 39; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2017 a. 59.