BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION


In the Matter of Approving the   ) DOCKET UT-000185
Telecommunications Relay Service  )
Excise Tax     ) ORDER DETERMINING
........................................................................) THE 
TRS EXCISE TAX RATE


  The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is required by RCW 
43.20A.725 to determine on an annual basis the amount of the Telecommunications 
Relay Service (TRS) excise tax to be applied to each access line and must 
inform each local exchange company of this amount no later than May 15 of each 
year.  The level of the excise tax to be applied is to be based on the 
information and recommendation provided by the Office of the Deaf and Hard of 
Hearing Services within the state Department of Social and Health Services 
(DSHS). The budget must be reviewed and approved by the DSHS Budget Division 
and further approved by the Office of Financial Management (OFM).

  RCW 43.20A.725 calls for DSHS to submit its budget to the Utilities and 
Transportation Commission (Commission) after OFM approval, which shall then 
determine the amount of the TRS excise tax by March 1 of each year.  The excise 
tax is determined by the program budget, as submitted by DSHS, and the total 
number of switched telephone access lines. The TRS excise tax must not exceed 
nineteen cents ($0.19) per month per access line as established through 
legislation.  The TRS program budget information was provided by the DSHS 
Budget Division to the Commission on February 14, 2000, and approved by the 
Office of Financial Management and submitted to the Commission on February 16, 
2000.  Based on the information, the Commission determined at its open meeting 
on February 23, 2000, that the amount of the TRS excise tax should remain at 
the existing fifteen cents ($0.15) per switched access line per month.  The 
rate is to remain effective by the individual local exchange companies’ billing 
systems.

     ORDER

   IT IS HEREBY ORDERED That each local exchange telephone company shall 
collect the Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf excise tax in the amount of 
fifteen cents ($0.15) per switched access line per month; and pursuant to RCW 
43.20A.725, shall remit the amount collected directly to the Department of 
Social and Health Services on a monthly basis, and shall separately identify 
the excise tax on each ratepayer’s bill.

  DATED at Olympia, Washington, and effective this 23rd day of February, 2000



        CAROLE J. WASHBURN
        Secretary