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HR 2120 105th Congress House Science, Technology, Communications Administrative procedure Commerce Consumer complaints Consumer education Consumer protection Federal Communications Commission Federal-state relations Fees Fines (Penalties) Forfeiture Government Operations and Politics Government paperwork Independent regulatory commissions Law Liability (Law) Public records Restrictive trade practices Sales promotion Telecommunication industry

Telephone Consumer Slamming Prevention Act of 1997

Introduced: July 9, 1997 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 18, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
Jul 9, 1997
Referred to the House Committee on Commerce.
Jul 9, 1997
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Telephone Consumer Slamming Prevention Act of 1997 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit telecommunications carriers from submitting or executing a change in a subscriber's selection of an interstate telephone service provider unless the carrier to which the subscriber will be changed has obtained a written change authorization from the subscriber.

Makes carriers that violate such requirement liable for fees imposed for changing service to or from the unauthorized carrier and long distance charges incurred by the subscriber during a specified period of unauthorized service.

Sets forth conditions under which States may administer a slamming complaint system for subscribers of interstate telephone service. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to administer such systems for States that fail to do so. Requires such systems to: (1) make available procedures for registering and maintaining records of complaints by subscribers of unauthorized changes of service; (2) make determinations and maintain records of violations and liability; (3) determine, on a monthly basis, the number of violations involving illegal changes of service for each carrier and provide such information to the FCC; and (4) comply with FCC regulations.

Directs carriers providing interstate telephone service to include information on the slamming complaint system in phone bills.

Requires the FCC to establish performance limits that are the maximum acceptable rates of unauthorized service changes. Makes carriers that exceed such limits liable for forfeiture penalties.

Applies existing slamming liability provisions only to intrastate service changes.

What's happening now July 18, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2