<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>87278</law_id><section_number>56-54.5</section_number><catch_line>Powers of the Commission</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="56">Public Service Companies</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2.1">Competitive Telephone Companies</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> may ensure competitive telephone companies provide reasonably adequate retail voice service, including rendering timely and accurate bills for service, by receiving customer complaints and requiring the <span class="dictionary">competitive telephone company</span> to reasonably address bona fide complaints as promptly as is reasonably possible under the circumstances. <a id="paragraph-312549" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> and authority to ensure the reasonably adequate provision by competitive telephone companies of the telecommunications portions of emergency 911 services provided to PSAPs, as that term is defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/56-484.12/">56-484.12</a>. <a id="paragraph-312550" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> and authority over Lifeline telephone service such as the Virginia Universal Service Plan, but shall not impose Lifeline telephone service obligations on competitive telephone companies that do not seek designation as eligible telecommunications carriers or impose Lifeline telephone service obligations over and above that imposed by the <span class="dictionary">default</span> Lifeline plan imposed by the Federal Communications <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>. <a id="paragraph-312551" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> and authority to permit existing and new retail tariffs to be filed by competitive telephone companies; however, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require a <span class="dictionary">competitive telephone company</span> to file tariffs concerning retail services. <a id="paragraph-312552" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Existing extended local service calling plans ordered by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> pursuant to Article 4 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/56-484.1/">56-484.1</a> et seq.) of Chapter 15 that are applicable to competitive telephone companies shall remain in effect, but shall not be expanded by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> and authority to enforce these extended local service calling plans, but shall not create any new plans. <a id="paragraph-312553" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> and authority to grant, <span class="dictionary">amend</span>, reissue, and cancel certificates of public convenience and necessity of competitive telephone companies. <a id="paragraph-312554" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> may promulgate such rules, including the revision and repeal of current rules, as may be necessary to implement the specific authority granted in this chapter. <a id="paragraph-312555" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="H"><p><span class="prefix-number">H.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall continue to enforce the Utility Transfers Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/56-88/">56-88</a> et seq.) regarding competitive telephone companies. <a id="paragraph-312556" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-54.5/#H"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2014, cc. 340, 376.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
