100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB3917

 

Introduced , by Rep. Theresa Mah

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/13-503  from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-503
220 ILCS 5/13-505  from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-505
220 ILCS 5/13-505.4  from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-505.4
220 ILCS 5/13-1200

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides for the giving of notice and information concerning rates, charges, terms, and conditions of service to customers of telecommunications carriers. Extends the repeal of the Telecommunications Article to July 1, 2020.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB3917LRB100 11054 RJF 21293 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Sections 13-503, 13-505, 13-505.4, and 13-1200 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/13-503)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-503)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2017)
8    Sec. 13-503. Information available to the public. With
9respect to rates or other charges made, demanded, or received
10for any telecommunications service offered, provided, or to be
11provided, that is subject to subsection (a) of Section 13-501
12of this Act, telecommunications carriers shall comply with the
13publication and filing provisions of Sections 9-101, 9-102,
149-102.1, and 9-201 of this Act. Except for the provision of
15services offered or provided by payphone providers pursuant to
16a tariff, telecommunications carriers shall make all tariffs
17and all written service offerings for competitive
18telecommunications service available electronically to the
19public without requiring a password or other means of
20registration. A telecommunications carrier's website shall, if
21applicable, provide in a conspicuous manner information on the
22rates, charges, terms, and conditions of competitive and
23noncompetitive service available, and a toll-free telephone

 

 

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1number that may be used to contact an agent for assistance with
2obtaining rate or other charge information or the terms and
3conditions of service. The website shall also provide
4information on a variety of plans the telecommunications
5carrier offers, and an evaluation of which telecommunications
6tariffs and written service offerings for competitive
7telecommunications service are the most appropriate and cost
8efficient for each customer based upon each customer's
9individually stated needs, wants, and prior telecommunications
10use. Such information shall also be conspicuously provided
11along with each billing statement for each customer in the same
12manner as the billing statement is provided, or, in the absence
13of such information, instructions on how to obtain the
14information from the telecommunications carrier's website.
15Telecommunications carriers shall keep record of who has
16contacted the carrier about rates and packages. If a customer
17has not contacted a carrier at least once before November 1 of
18each year to discuss rates and packages, the carrier will send
19to the customer, in the same manner as the customer's billing
20statement, an invitation to discuss such details. Notices will
21be sent in a least one more additional instance than the
22customer's bill is sent.
23(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)
 
24    (220 ILCS 5/13-505)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-505)
25    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2017)

 

 

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1    Sec. 13-505. Rate changes; competitive services. Any
2proposed increase or decrease in rates or charges, or proposed
3change in any classification, written service offering, or
4tariff resulting in an increase or decrease in rates or
5charges, for a competitive telecommunications service shall be
6permitted upon the filing with the Commission or posting on the
7telecommunications carrier's website of the proposed rate,
8charge, classification, written service offering, or tariff
9pursuant to Section 13-501 of this Act. Notice of an increase
10or decrease shall be given, no later than the prior billing
11cycle, to all potentially affected customers by mail,
12telephone, or equivalent means of notice, including electronic
13if the customer has elected electronic billing. Additional
14notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation may
15also be given.
16(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13.)
 
17    (220 ILCS 5/13-505.4)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-505.4)
18    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2017)
19    Sec. 13-505.4. Provision of noncompetitive services.
20    (a) A telecommunications carrier that offers or provides a
21noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or
22functionality on a separate, stand-alone basis to any customer
23shall provide that service, service element, feature, or
24functionality pursuant to tariff to all persons, including all
25telecommunications carriers and competitors, in accordance

 

 

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1with the provisions of this Article.
2    (b) A telecommunications carrier that offers or provides a
3noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or
4functionality to any customer as part of an offering of
5competitive services pursuant to tariff or contract shall
6publicly disclose the offering or provisioning of the
7noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or
8functionality by filing with the Commission information that
9generally describes the offering or provisioning and that shows
10the rates, terms, and conditions of the noncompetitive service,
11service element, feature, or functionality. The information
12shall be filed with the Commission concurrently with the filing
13of the tariff or not more than 10 days following the customer's
14acceptance of the offering in a contract. Information under
15this subsection (b) shall be provided to customers in the same
16manner as information is provided for competitive
17telecommunications services under Section 13-503 of this Act.
18    (c) A telecommunications carrier that is not subject to
19regulation under an alternative regulation plan pursuant to
20Section 13-506.1 of this Act may reduce the rate or charge for
21a noncompetitive service, service element, feature, or
22functionality offered to customers on a separate, stand-alone
23basis or as part of a bundled service offering by filing with
24the Commission a tariff that shows the reduced rate or charge
25and all applicable terms and conditions of the noncompetitive
26service, service element, feature, or functionality or bundled

 

 

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1offering. The reduction of rates or charges shall be permitted
2upon the filing of the proposed rate, charge, classification,
3tariff, or bundled offering. The total price of a bundled
4offering shall not attribute any portion of the charge to
5services subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and
6shall not be binding on the Commission in any proceeding under
7Article IX of this Act to set the revenue requirement or to set
8just and reasonable rates for services subject to the
9jurisdiction of the Commission. Prices for bundles shall not be
10subject to Section 13-505.1 of this Act. For purposes of this
11subsection (c), a bundle is a group of services offered
12together for a fixed price where at least one of the services
13is an interLATA service as that term is defined in 47 U.S.C.
14153(21), a cable service or a video service, a community
15antenna television service, a satellite broadcast service, a
16public mobile service as defined in Section 13-214 of this Act,
17or an advanced telecommunications service as "advanced
18telecommunications services" is defined in Section 13-517 of
19this Act.
20(Source: P.A. 95-9, eff. 6-30-07.)
 
21    (220 ILCS 5/13-1200)
22    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2017)
23    Sec. 13-1200. Repealer. This Article is repealed July 1,
242020 2017.
25(Source: P.A. 98-45, eff. 6-28-13; 99-6, eff. 6-29-15.)