Texas Seeks Time to Fully Pay Out USF, Objects to Retroactive Payments
Texas doesn’t have to retroactively pay Texas USF (TUSF) support it kept from AMA TechTel Communications due to insufficient available funding, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Thursday. The 3rd District Texas Court of Appeals in Austin ordered the PUC…
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June 30 to pay full amounts owed (see 2206300045). Paxton told the appeals court AMA on July 5 received a full monthly payment for June of about $1.34 million but now is asking a lower court to order the PUC to pay all support owed since Dec. 1. The court didn’t “unlawfully require retroactive payments,” the AG said. It could take until at least mid-September before the PUC can make full payments to all TUSF recipients, Paxton said. “The TUSF presently lacks sufficient money to pay all amounts owed from the fund,” so the PUC would first have to raise the assessment rate and wait until enough revenue accrued before it could pay, said Paxton. He noted the PUC has an item on TUSF assessment on this Thursday’s meeting agenda. AMA didn’t comment Friday. In a separate, similar case, the appeals court ruled June 30 that the PUC violated the state’s constitution and utility and administrative procedure laws when it chose not to fully fund TUSF (see 2207010045).