From Mike McGrady Hello, Based on the information from my contacts on the hill, the second reading for HB 1789 will be on February 9th and the floor vote on the 10th. Attached are four documents for your review and distribution:
The Maher amendments still do the same thing; i.e. they only make the wireless network providers (Verizon, ATT, T Mobile & Sprint) collect & remit the 911 fee, thereby codifying the shortfall caused by the resellers (Tracfone, Oxygen, Virgin, Cricket, Wal-Mart etc.) who have no way to collect the fee from the end-user. So in other words, Maher’s amendments would guarantee that the PSAPs will have a growing annual shortfall of $10,000,000+++ a year. My contacts also have told me that the PA Retailers Association might be sending a mailing pushing for a “wholesale” model to collect the surcharge. This will not work as the carriers would not know where the minutes are being sold or used, therefore they would not be able to collect the fee guarantying that the PSAPs will have a growing annual shortfall of $10,000,000+++ a year. The education material is just an update of what we sent out before and a collage of some of the prepaid offerings out there today. Food for thought, the anticipated additional revenue from this prepaid legislation will equal what all of the VoIP providers remitted to PEMA in calendar year 2009. Please contact you legislator today or Monday and ask them to vote for HB1789 without the Maher amendments. As always, feel free to call or email me with any questions.
Thanks,
Michael C. McGrady President & Managing Partner
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