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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="7.5-5A-03.1" title_number="7.5" title_name="Behavioral Health Administration" subtitle_number="5A" subtitle_name="9–8–8 Trust Fund">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“9–8–8–accessible service” means telephone service or another communications service that connects an individual dialing the digits 9–8–8 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“9–8–8 fee” means the fee imposed in accordance with this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“9–8–8 service carrier” means a provider of CMRS or other 9–8–8–accessible service.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“9–8–8 service carrier” does not include a telephone company.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>This section does not apply to prepaid wireless telecommunications service.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each subscriber to switched local exchange access service, CMRS, or other 9–8–8–accessible service shall pay a 9–8–8 fee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A subscriber who is enrolled in the Lifeline program may not be required to pay a 9–8–8 fee.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection, the 9–8–8 fee is 25 cents per month payable when the bill for the switched local exchange access service, CMRS, or other 9–8–8–accessible service is due.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, if a person is able to make more than one simultaneous outbound call using a 9–8–8–accessible service, each separate outbound call voice channel capacity, regardless of the technology, shall be considered a separate 9–8–8–accessible service for the purpose of determining the 9–8–8 fee due under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>CMRS provided to multiple devices that share the same telephone number shall be considered a single 9–8–8–accessible service for the purpose of determining the 9–8–8 fee due under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A broadband connection that is not used as a telephone service may not be considered a separate voice channel capacity for the purpose of determining the 9–8–8 fee due under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Public Service Commission shall direct each telephone company to add the 9–8–8 fee to all current bills rendered for switched local exchange access service in the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each telephone company:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall act as a collection agent for the Fund with respect to the 9–8–8 fees; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall remit all money collected to the Comptroller on a monthly basis.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each 9–8–8 service carrier shall add the 9–8–8 fee to all current bills rendered for CMRS or other 9–8–8–accessible service in the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each 9–8–8 service carrier:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall act as a collection agent for the Fund with respect to the 9–8–8 fees;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall remit all money collected to the Comptroller on a monthly basis;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Shall keep records of 9–8–8 fees collected and remitted under this paragraph for at least 4 years after the fee is remitted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Is entitled to credit, against the money from the 9–8–8 fee to be remitted to the Comptroller, an amount equal to 0.5% of the 9–8–8 fee to cover the expenses of billing, collecting, remitting, and keeping records of the 9–8–8 fees.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Comptroller shall adopt procedures for auditing fee collection and remittance by telephone companies and CMRS providers.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>A CMRS provider that pays or collects 9–8–8 fees under this section has the same immunity from liability for transmission failures as that approved by the Public Service Commission for local exchange telephone companies that are subject to regulation by the Commission under the Public Utilities Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>The Comptroller shall adopt regulations to carry out this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
