Bill Text: MA H3107 | 2009-2010 | 186th General Court | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibit businesses from misrepresenting the geographic location of such businesses in local telephone directories
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-08-05 - Accompanied a study order, see H04973 [H3107 Detail]
Download: Massachusetts-2009-H3107-Introduced.html
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
PRESENTED BY:
Elizabeth Poirier
_______________
To the
Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:
An Act prohibiting intentional misrepresentation by a business of its location.
_______________
PETITION OF:
|
Name: |
District/Address: |
|
Elizabeth Poirier |
14th Bristol |
|
Richard J. Ross |
9th Norfolk |
|
Bruce E. Tarr |
First Essex and Middlesex |
|
Willie Mae Allen |
6th Suffolk |
|
Paul K. Frost |
7th Worcester |
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS
SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3361 OF 2007-2008.]
The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand and Nine
_______________
An Act prohibiting intentional misrepresentation by a business of
its location.
Be it
enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 93 of the General Laws is
hereby amended by adding the following section:—
Section 114. (a) It is hereby declared to be an unfair and deceptive act or
practice in violation of chapter 93A for any provider or vendor of a product or
service to misrepresent the geographic location of its business by doing either
of the following:
(1) listing a local telephone number in a local telephone directory listing or
advertisement if each of the following is satisfied:
(i) calls to the telephone number are routinely forwarded or otherwise
transferred to a provider’s or vendor’s business location that is outside the
calling area covered by the local telephone directory.
(ii) the listing does not identify the true physical address, including the
city and state, of the provider’s or vendor’s business.
(2) listing a fictitious business name or an assumed business name in a local
telephone directory listing or advertisement if each of the following is
satisfied:
(i) the name misrepresents the provider’s or vendor’s geographic location.
(ii) the listing does not identify the true physical address, including the
city and state, of the provider’s or vendors business.
(b) for purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
“Local telephone directory”, a telephone classified advertising directory or
the business section of a telephone directory that is distributed free of
charge to some or all telephone subscribers in a local area directory.
“Local telephone number”, a telephone number that has a three-number prefix
used by a telephone service company for telephones physically located within
the area covered by the local telephone directory in which the number is
listed. The term shall not include long distance numbers or 800- or 900-
exchange numbers listed in a local telephone directory.
