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HF 2151 Senate Long Description

Relating to telecommunications services ARTICLE 1 � INCORRECT DIRECTORY ASSISTANCERequiring local exchange telephone or telecommunications service +providers providing directory assistance to customers for a fee to provide +immediate credit to customers informing the provider of the provision of +incorrect directory assistance information, specifying certain carrier customer+ notice requirements ARTICLE 2 � UTILITY DEPOSITSModifying certain provisions governing utility deposits; eliminating +the limit on telephone company deposit fees; modifying a certain provision +regulating the payment of interest on privately or publicly owned utility deposits,+ requiring annual setting and announcement by the commissioner of commerce ARTICLE 3 � OBSOLETE RULES REPEALERRepealing certain obsolete rules regulating communications utilities ARTICLE 4 � EXTENDED SERVICE AREASAuthorizing telephone companies to expand calling areas for customers+ upon filing with the public utilities commission certain agreements +between telephone companies andtelecommunications carriers, requiring calling to the expanded areas +to be optional to customers; granting the companies certain pricing and +service offers authority and authorizing the companies to construct, +purchase, lease or rent transport and switching facilities to provide expanded calling; authorizing telephone companies to enter into agreements to terminate+ calls with companies and telecommunications carriers providing service +within the expanded calling area and into "bill and keep" arrangements for +exchange of expanded calling area traffic; authorizing amendments to or +termination of expanded calling area service upon notice to customers, the PUC and +other telephone companies and telecommunications carriers providing local +service in the expanded area; requiring the PUC to apply the same standards and +criteria to all eligible telecommunications carriers in determining the need +to provide annual certification of the carriers for continued receipt of federal+ universal service fundingARTICLE 5 �WIRELESS CONSUMER PROTECTIONProviding consumer protection for wireless telecommunications +services customers; defining certain terms; requiring providers of the +services to provide customers with written copies of contracts between the +providers and the customers within a certain number of days of entering into the +contract and to notify customers in writing of proposed substantive changes in the+ contracts within a certain number of days before effectiveness of the change, + requiring customers to opt in by affirmatively accepting the change in writing +before the proposed effective date; providing for customer initiated contract +changes; sunset ARTICLE 6 � REDUCED RATE REGULATIONProviding for reduced rate regulation for certain business customers;+ providing protection from anticompetitive pricing and for enforcement by the +public utilities commission; extending the expiration date for the +imposition of certain administrative and civil penalties; requiring the PUC in +consultation with the attorney general and the department of commerce to develop +by a certain date a means for resolution of small consumer complaints with+ a monetary reimbursement component and to develop and recommend to the legislature a plan for increasing the number of plan offering flat +rate statewide calling; sunset ARTICLE 7 � CABLE SYSTEM CHANGESModifying and clarifying certain provisions regulating cable +communications; clarifying the definition of cable communications system and the +applicability of the regulatory provisions; modifying certain franchise procedures +relating to negotiation of terms and the public hearing completion deadline; +eliminating the requirement for a public hearing on the sale or transfer of +franchises; modifying certain franchise content requirements and certain +requirements for the use of existing easements; specifying certain term change and +renumbering instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing certain +legislative findings and definitions and certain provisions regulating the sale or +transfer of franchises, rates, the financial interest of members of elected +bodies granting franchises and the use of existing easements and certain franchise +ordinance content requirements (Ch. 261, 2004)