US Congress Senate Bill 3291 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: Introduced on June 13 2012 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2012-06-13 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Pending: Senate Commerce, Science, And Transportation Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit local exchange carriers or providers of interconnected VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service from placing a third-party charge that is not directly related to the provision of telephone services on the bill of a customer, unless the third-party charge is: (1) from a certified third-party vendor, (2) for a product or service that the carrier or provider markets or sells jointly with its own service, and (3) consented to and believed to be requested by the customer. Defines a "third-party charge" as a charge for a product or service not provided by a local exchange carrier or a provider of interconnected VoIP service that is included on a bill for the services the local exchange carrier or provider of interconnected VoIP service offers to its customers. Subjects violators to civil forfeiture and specified penalties. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate rules to: (1) ensure that a provider of wireless services gives each customer the means to avoid receiving third-party charges on the wireless customer's wireless bill and discloses such an option clearly and conspicuously, (2) establish procedures for such a provider to ensure that third-party charges have been authorized by the wireless customer; and (3) enable a wireless customer to seek and receive reimbursement from the provider for any unauthorized third-party charges.

Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012

Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV]

Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]

Date	Chamber	Action
2012-06-13	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/3291/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/112/bills/s3291/BILLS-112s3291is.pdf