103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4685

 

Introduced 2/6/2024, by Rep. Amy Elik

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/22-501.5 new

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that if, due to a contract dispute, a cable or video provider will not be providing a customer or subscriber with a channel for which the customer or subscriber has been or will be billed, the cable or video provider shall, within 10 days after the cable or video provider knows that the contract dispute will result in the loss of the channel, provide each affected customer or subscriber with notice that the channel will not be provided due to a contract dispute. Provides that if a cable or video provider does not provide a customer or subscriber with a channel for which the customer or subscriber has been billed, then the cable or video provider shall credit the customer or subscriber $10 per channel for each month that the customer or subscriber does not receive the channel due to the contract dispute. Provides that the credit shall be applied on the statement issued to the customer or subscriber for the next monthly billing cycle. Provides that responsibility for payment of the credit shall be split evenly between all parties to the contract dispute, with reimbursement from the broadcaster to be made promptly to the cable or video provider. Provides that the provisions apply to any channel regardless of whether it is a local, a regional, or a paid channel and regardless of whether the customer is billed separately for the channel.


LRB103 36534 CES 66641 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4685LRB103 36534 CES 66641 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 adding
5Section 22-501.5 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/22-501.5 new)
7    Sec. 22-501.5. Contract disputes; notice; credit. If, due
8to a contract dispute, a cable or video provider will not be
9providing a customer or subscriber with a channel for which
10the customer or subscriber has been or will be billed, the
11cable or video provider shall, within 10 days after the cable
12or video provider knows that the contract dispute will result
13in the loss of the channel, provide each affected customer or
14subscriber with notice that the channel will not be provided
15due to a contract dispute. If a cable or video provider does
16not provide a customer or subscriber with a channel for which
17the customer or subscriber has been billed, then the cable or
18video provider shall credit the customer or subscriber $10 per
19channel for each month that the customer or subscriber does
20not receive the channel due to the contract dispute. The
21credit shall be applied on the statement issued to the
22customer or subscriber for the next monthly billing cycle.
23Responsibility for payment of the credit shall be split evenly

 

 

HB4685- 2 -LRB103 36534 CES 66641 b

1between all parties to the contract dispute, with
2reimbursement from the broadcaster to be made promptly to the
3cable or video provider. This Section applies to any channel
4regardless of whether it is a local, a regional, or a paid
5channel and regardless of whether the customer is billed
6separately for the channel.