,,ii  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #aadd  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,june #ab1 #bjac ,mr4  
,rockefell] 7= himself1 ,ms4 ,klobu*>1 &
 ,mr4 ,blum5?al7 introduc$ ! foll[+     
bill2 :i* 0 read twice & ref]r$ to !    
,committee on ,comm]ce1 ,sci5ce1 &      
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit
 unau?oriz$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges on wirel9e  
telephone bills1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,fair ,telephone ,bill+ ,act ( #bjac4   
#b4 ,f9d+s ,congress makes ! foll[+     
f9d+s3  7#a7 ,= ye>s1 telephone us]s h  
compla9$ t _! wirel9e telephone bills   
includ$ unau?oriz$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges4     
7#b7 ,?is problem1 commonly ref]r$ to z 
cramm+1 fir/ appe>$ 9 ! #aiijs1 aft]    
wirel9e telephone companies op5$ _!     
bill+ plat=ms to an array ( ?ird-p>ty   
v5dors (f]+ a v>iety ( s]vices4  7#c7   
,s9ce ! #aiijs1 ! ,f$]al ,communications
 ,commission1 ! ,f$]al ,trade           
,commission1 & ,/ate attorneys g5]al h  
br\ght multiple en=cem5t actions aga9/  

doz5s ( individuals & companies = engag+
 9 cramm+4  7#d7 ,an inve/igation by !  
,committee on ,comm]ce1 ,sci5ce1 &      
,transportation ( ! ,s5ate confirm$ t   
cramm+ is a problem ( massive           
proportions & has affect$ millions (    
telephone us]s1 co/+ !m billions (      
doll>s 9 unau?oriz$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges ov] 
! pa/ decade4  7#e7 ,! ,committee %[$ t 
?ird-p>ty bill+ ?r\gh wirel9e telephone 
numb]s has l>gely fail$ to become a     
reliable me?od ( paym5t t consum]s &    
bus9esses c use to conduct legitimate   
comm]ce4  7#f7 ,telephone companies     
regul>ly plac$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges on _!    
cu/om]s' telephone bills )\t _! cu/om]s'
 au?orization4  7#g7 ,_m companies      
engag$ 9 ?ird-p>ty bill+ 7 illegitimate 
& creat$ solely to exploit ! weaknesses 
9 ! ?ird-p>ty bill+ plat=ms e/abli%$ by 
telephone companies4  7#h7 ,9 ! la/     
decade1 millions ( bus9ess & resid5tial 
consum]s h transition$ f wirel9e        
telephone s]vice to int]connect$ ,vo,i,p
 s]vice4  7#i7 ,us]s ( int]connect$     

,vo,i,p s]vice (t5 use ! s]vice z !     
prim>y telephone l9e = _! resid5ces &   
bus9esses4  7#aj7 ,millions m bus9ess & 
resid5tial consum]s are expect$ to      
migrate to int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice 9
 ! com+ ye>s z ! evolution ( ! nation's 
traditional voice communications        
networks to ,,ip-bas$ networks cont9ues4
  7#aa7 ,us]s ( int]connect$ ,vo,i,p    
s]vice t h telephone numb]s ?r\gh !     
s]vice %\ld be protect$ f ! same        
vuln]abilities t affect$ ?ird-p>ty bill+
 ?r\gh wirel9e telephone numb]s4  #c4   
,unau?oriz$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges  7a7 ,9     
g5]al ,section #beh ( ! ,communications 
,act ( #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #beh7 is    
am5d$--  7#a7 by am5d+ ! head+ to read z
 foll[s3 ,sec4 #beh4 ,prev5t+ illegal   
*anges 9 subscrib] c>ri] selections &   
unau?oriz$ ?ird-p>ty *>ges42 &  7#b7 by 
add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  7c7            
,prohibition  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,no local   
ex*ange c>ri] or provid] ( int]connect$ 
,vo,i,p s]vice %all place or cause to be
 plac$ a ?ird-p>ty *>ge t is n directly 

relat$ to ! provision ( telephone       
s]vices on ! bill ( a cu/om]1 unless--  
7,a7 ! ?ird-p>ty *>ge is f a contract$  
?ird-p>ty v5dor2  7,b7 ! ?ird-p>ty *>ge 
is = a product or s]vice t a local      
ex*ange c>ri] or provid] ( int]connect$ 
,vo,i,p s]vice jo9tly m>kets or jo9tly  
sells ) its own s]vice2  7,c7 ! cu/om] 0
 provid$ ) cle> & conspicu\s disclosure 
( all mat]ial t]ms & conditions prior to
 cons5t+ "u subp>agraph 7,d72  7,d7 !   
cu/om] provid$ affirmative cons5t = !   
placem5t ( ! ?ird-p>ty *>ge on ! bill2 &
  7,e7 ! local ex*ange c>ri] or provid] 
( int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice has       
implem5t$ reasonable proc$ures to ensure
 t ! ?ird-p>ty *>ge is = a product or   
s]vice reque/$ by ! cu/om]4  7#b7       
,=feiture & refund  7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,any  
p]son :o commits a violation ( p>agraph 
7#a7 %all be subject to a civil         
=feiture1 :i* %all be det]m9$ 9         
accordance ) section #ejc ( title ,v (  
?is ,act1 except t ! am\nt ( ! p5alty   
%all be d\ble ! o!rwise applicable am\nt

 ( ! p5alty "u t section4  7,b7 ,refund 
,any local ex*ange c>ri] or provid] (   
int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice t commits a 
violation ( p>agraph 7#a7 %all be liable
 to ! cu/om] 9 an am\nt equal to all    
*>ges paid by t cu/om] relat$ to !      
violation ( p>agraph 7#a71 9 accordance 
) su* proc$ures z ! ,commission may     
prescribe4  7#c7 ,additional rem$ies ,! 
rem$ies "u ?is subsection are 9 addition
 to any o!r rem$ies provid$ by law4     
7#d7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is subsection3     
7,a7 ,affirmative cons5t ,! t]m         
affirmative cons5t means express        
v]ifiable au?orization4  7,b7 ,contract$
 ?ird-p>ty v5dor ,! t]m contract$       
?ird-p>ty v5dor means a p]son t has a   
contractual "r to receive bill+ &       
collection s]vices f a local ex*ange    
c>ri] or a provid] ( int]connect$       
,vo,i,p s]vice = a product or s]vice t !
 p]son provides directly to a cu/om]4   
7,c7 ,?ird-p>ty *>ge ,! t]m ?ird-p>ty   
*>ge means a *>ge = a product or s]vice 
n provid$ by a local ex*ange c>ri] or a 

provid] ( int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice4  
4  7b7 ,rulemak+  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n lat] 
?an #ij days aft] ! date ( enactm5t (   
?is ,act1 ! ,f$]al ,communications      
,commission1 9 consultation ) ! ,f$]al  
,trade ,commission1 %all prescribe any  
rules necess>y to implem5t ! provisions 
( ?is section4  7#b7 ,m9imum cont5ts ,at
 a m9imum1 ! regulations promulgat$ by !
 ,f$]al ,communications ,commission "u  
?is subsection %all--  7,a7 def9e h[    
local ex*ange c>ri]s & provid]s (       
int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice w obta9     
affirmative cons5t f a consum] = a      
?ird-p>ty *>ge2  7,b7 include adequate  
protections to ensure t consum]s are    
fully aw>e ( ! *>ges to :i* !y are      
cons5t+2 &  7,c7 impose recordkeep+     
requirem5ts on local ex*ange c>ri]s &   
provid]s ( int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice  
relat$ to any grants ( affirmative      
cons5t by consum]s4  7c7 ,effective date
 ,! ,f$]al ,communications ,commission  
%all prescribe t any rule adopt$ "u     
subsection 7b7 %all become effective = a

 local ex*ange c>ri] or provid] (       
int]connect$ ,vo,i,p s]vice n lat] ?an !
 date t ! c>ri]'s or provid]'s          
contractual obligation to p]mit ano!r   
p]son to *>ge a cu/om] = a good or      
s]vice on a bill r5d]$ by ! c>ri] or    
provid] expires1 or #ahj days aft] !    
date ( enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 :i*ev] is   
e>li]4  #d4 ,relation%ip to o!r laws    
7a7 ,no preemption ( ,/ate laws ,no?+ 9 
?is ,act %all be con/ru$ to preempt any 
,/ate law1 except t no ,/ate law may    
relieve any p]son ( a requirem5t o!rwise
 applicable "u ?is ,act4  7b7           
,pres]vation ( ,,ftc au?ority ,no?+ 9   
?is ,act %all be con/ru$ z modify+1     
limit+1 or o!rwise affect+ !            
applicability ( ! ,f$]al ,trade         
,commission ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #da et  
seq47 or any o!r law en=c$ by ! ,f$]al  
,trade ,commission4  #e4 ,sev]ability   
,if any provision ( ?is ,act or !       
application ( t provision to any p]son  
or circum/ance is held invalid1 !       
rema9d] ( ?is ,act & ! application ( t  

provision to any o!r p]son or           
circum/ance %all n be affect$ !reby4