1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1510, As Amended – Long distance/unauthorized switch

SENATE BILL NO. 1510, As Amended

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1510aa....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE SERVICE - Adds to existing law to prohibit
"slamming" or unauthorized switching of long distance service by long
distance telephone company carriers and to provide that certain conduct is
a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.

02/19    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/20    Rpt prt - to St Aff
02/26    Rpt out - to 14th Ord
03/04    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/05    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/06    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/09    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 34-0-1
      AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes, Hansen,
      Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry,
      Richardson, Riggs, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Stennett, Sweeney,
      Thorne, Twiggs, Wheeler, Whitworth
      NAYS--None
      Absent and excused--Sorensen
    Floor Sponsor - Bunderson
    Title apvd - to House
03/10    House intro - 1st rdg as amen - to St Aff
03/16    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/17    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/18    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 65-0-5
      AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Bivens,
      Black(23), Boe, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell, Chase, Clark, Crow,
      Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Ellsworth, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Geddes,
      Gould, Hadley, Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones(22), Jones(20), Judd,
      Kellogg, Kempton, Kendell, Kjellander, Kunz, Lake, Linford,
      Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague, Meyer, Mortensen, Newcomb,
      Pischner, Pomeroy, Reynolds, Richman, Ridinger, Robison, Sali,
      Schaefer, Stevenson, Stoicheff, Stone, Stubbs, Taylor, Tilman,
      Tippets, Trail, Watson, Wheeler, Wood, Zimmermann, Mr Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Black(15), Crane, Hansen, Jones(9), Miller
    Floor Sponsor - Kjellander, Field(13), Alltus
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/19    To enrol
03/20    Rpt enrol - Pres signed
03/23    Sp signed - to Governor
03/24    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 274
         Effective: 03/24/98

Bill Text


S1510


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                             SENATE BILL NO. 1510, As Amended

                                BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO FRAUDULENT TELEPHONE SERVICES  AND  DISCLOSURES  TO  CONSUMERS  OF
 3        CHANGES IN THEIR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE; AMENDING CHAPTER 6, TITLE 48,
 4        IDAHO  CODE,  BY  THE  ADDITION  OF  A NEW SECTION 48-603D, IDAHO CODE, TO
 5        DEFINE TERMS, TO PROHIBIT THE UNAUTHORIZED SWITCHING OF A CONSUMER'S LOCAL
 6        OR INTEREXCHANGE TELEPHONE SERVICE, TO PROVIDE  NOTICE  OF  CHANGES  IN  A
 7        CONSUMER'S TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

 8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 9        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  6,  Title  48, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
10    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
11    known and designated as Section 48-603D, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

12        48-603D.  UNFAIR  TELEPHONE  SERVICES  --  UNORDERED GOODS AND SERVICES --
13    DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMERS. (1) As used in this section:
14        (a)  "Telecommunications provider" means a person that provides telecommu-
15        nications service.
16        (b)  "Telecommunications service" means the offering for sale of the  con-
17        veyance of voice, data or other information at any frequency over any part
18        of  the  electromagnetic  spectrum.  Telecommunications  service  does not
19        include cable television service or broadcast service.
20        (c)  "Telecommunications service agreement" means a contract  between  the
21        telecommunications  provider and a consumer for telecommunications service
22        that is provided to the consumer on a continuing or  periodic  basis.  The
23        term  includes  an oral, written, or electronically recorded contract, and
24        includes any material amendment to an existing contract.
25        (2)  (a)  Section 48-605, Idaho Code, notwithstanding, it is unlawful  for
26        a  telecommunications  provider  to request a change in a consumer's local
27        exchange or interexchange carrier without the consumer's verified consent.
28        (b)  For purposes of subsection (2)(a) of this section:
29             (i)   It is the responsibility  of  the  telecommunications  provider
30             requesting  a  change  in  a  telephone  service  subscriber's  local
31             exchange  or  interexchange  carrier  to verify that the consumer has
32             authorized the change. A telecommunications provider  that  does  not
33             verify   a  consumer's  change  in  his  or  her  local  exchange  or
34             interexchange carrier in accordance with the verification procedures,
35             if any, adopted by the federal communications  commission  under  the
36             telecommunications  act of 1996, including subpart K of 47 CFR 64, as
37             those procedures are from time to time amended, commits  an  unlawful
38             practice  within  the meaning of this act. A telephone company, wire-
39             less carrier or telecommunications carrier providing  local  exchange
40             service who has been requested by another telecommunications provider
41             to process a change in a consumer's carrier is only liable under this
42             section if it knowingly participates in processing a requested change
43             that is unauthorized or not properly verified; and


                                          2

 1             (ii)  Compliance with applicable federal verification procedures is a
 2             complete  defense to an allegation of consumer fraud under subsection
 3             (2)(a) of this section.
 4        (3)  (a)  Section 48-605, Idaho Code, notwithstanding, it is unlawful  for
 5        a  telecommunications  provider  to  bill a consumer for goods or services
 6        that are in addition to the consumer's telecommunications services without
 7        the  consumer's  authorization  adding  the  goods  or  services  to   the
 8        consumer's service order.
 9        (b)  For  purposes  of subsection (3)(a) of this section, a telephone com-
10        pany or telecommunications carrier providing billing services for  another
11        telecommunications  provider is only liable under this section if it know-
12        ingly participates in billing a consumer for goods or services without the
13        consumer's authorization for the addition of those goods  or  services  to
14        the consumer's service order.
15        (4)  (a)  A  telecommunications  provider  shall be solely responsible for
16        providing written notice to a consumer who has  agreed  to  enter  into  a
17        telecommunications service agreement with the telecommunications provider.
18        (b)  The  notice  shall clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer
19        that the consumer's local  exchange  or  interexchange  carrier  has  been
20        changed.  The  notice shall also advise the consumer that the consumer may
21        change back to the previous carrier or select a new carrier by calling the
22        previous carrier or the consumer's preferred  carrier.  The  notice  shall
23        also  provide  the  consumer  with  a toll-free number to call for further
24        information.
25        (c)  The notice shall be sent on or before the  fifteenth  day  after  the
26        consumer  enters  into  the telecommunications service agreement, or on or
27        before the day the telecommunications provider first  bills  the  consumer
28        under the agreement, whichever is later.
29        (d)  The  notice  must be a separate document sent for the sole purpose of
30        advising the consumer of his or her  entering  into  a  telecommunications
31        service  agreement.  The notice shall also not be combined with any sweep-
32        stakes entry form in the same document or other like inducement.
33        (e)  The sending of this notice shall not constitute a defense to a charge
34        that a consumer did not consent to enter into a telecommunications service
35        agreement or that the consumer's consent was verified according to federal
36        law.
37        (f)  Compliance with the notification requirements, if any, adopted by the
38        federal communications commission  under  the  telecommunications  act  of
39        1996,  including  subpart K of 47 CFR 64, shall be deemed to be compliance
40        with this subsection.
41        (g)  A consumer who selects a different  carrier  within  three  (3)  days
42        after receiving the notice under subsection (4)(a) of this section may not
43        be charged a cancellation charge or disconnect fee unless the consumer has
44        more  than  five (5) telephone lines and has entered into a written agree-
45        ment which specifies such charges and  fees,  and  the  telecommunications
46        provider  has  complied  with the verification procedures under subsection
47        (2)(b) of this section.

48        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
49    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
50    passage and approval.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                              STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    
                                   RS08066C2
    
    This proposed legislation amends the Idaho Consumer Protection Act. It 
    adds a new section prohibiting the practices of slamming -- the switching 
    of a person's long distance service from one long distance carrier to 
    another without that person's verified consent -- and cramming -- the 
    billing of a consumer by a telecommunications provider for goods or 
    services that were not ordered by that consumer. The proposed legislation 
    also provides that notice be given to consumers when their long distance 
    service has been switched, and allows them a three-day opportunity to 
    cancel the switch.
    
    FISCAL NOTE
    
    There is no fiscal impact.
    
    CONTACT: Freeman Duncan, Legislative Liaison
             Attorney General's Office
             Phone:(208) 334-4151
    
    Senator Hal Bunderson
    Idaho Senate
    Phone: (208) 332-1000
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE
    
    S1510