PAYPHONE RATE QUOTE H.B. 4187 (H-2): COMMITTEE SUMMARY
House Bill 4187 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Glenn S. Anderson
House Committee: Energy and Technology
Senate Committee: Technology and Energy
Date Completed: 4-20-04
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Telecommunications Act to require the operator or service provider that owned or operated a payphone or contracted to provide toll service for the payphone provider to disclose, at no charge, audibly and distinctly, how the consumer could receive a rate quote, before connecting the call.
To receive a rate quote, the consumer would have to have the option of either pressing a sequence of up to two keys or staying on the line for assistance. The consumer could not be assessed any charge for the use of the payphone or toll service if he or she terminated the call after receiving the rate quote.
The bill specifies that its requirements would not apply to calls made by a consumer using his or her toll provider of choice by dialing the provider's access method.
The bill would define "consumer" as a person initiating a telephone call using an operator service. In collect calling arrangements handled by an operator service provider, the term would include the party on the terminating end of the call. For bill-to-third party calling arrangements handled by an operator service provider, the term would include the party to be billed for the call if the operator service provider contacted that party for billing approval.
Proposed MCL 484.2312c Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Maria Tyszkiewicz
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4187/0304