The bill amends Iowa's telecommunications regulations, specifically focusing on the provision of services for incarcerated persons. It revises Section 476.91 to replace the term "alternative operator services" with "telecommunication services for incarcerated persons," thereby narrowing the scope of regulation to only those services that allow incarcerated individuals to make calls to individuals outside their correctional facilities. The bill introduces new definitions, such as "correctional facility" and "incarcerated person calling service," while removing outdated definitions related to alternative operator services. It establishes that all incarcerated person calling services will be subject to the jurisdiction of the commission and must adhere to approved tariffs.

Additionally, the bill modifies the requirements for obtaining an electric transmission line franchise by eliminating the need for a specific form to be filled out, signed by the chair of the utilities commission, and sealed. Instead, it mandates that the necessary information, including a general description of the improvement and the terms of the franchise, must still be provided to the commission without the formalities of a signed form or seal. This streamlining aims to simplify the process while ensuring that essential information is still communicated to the commission.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 476.91, 478.7