(a) Beginning January 1, 2013, and each calendar year thereafter, the total annual amount of the incumbent local exchange carrier portion of the nationwide loop cost expense adjustment shall not exceed the amount for the immediately preceding calendar year, multiplied times one plus the Rural Growth Factor calculated pursuant to §54.1303.

(b) The annual rural incumbent local exchange carrier portion of the nationwide loop cost expense adjustment shall be reduced to reflect the transfer of rural incumbent local exchange carrier access lines that are eligible for expense adjustments pursuant to §54.1310. The reduction shall equal the amount of the §54.1310 expense adjustment available to the transferred access lines at the time of the transfer and shall be effective in the next calendar quarter after the access lines are transferred.

(c) Safety net additive support calculated pursuant to §54.1304, and transferred high-cost support and safety valve support calculated pursuant to §54.305 of this part shall not be included in the rural incumbent local exchange carrier portion of the annual nationwide loop cost expense adjustment.