| This bill grants the Public Utilities Commission authority to |
protect the State's telecommunications consumers from the |
fraudulent industry practice of "cramming." Cramming occurs when |
charges for an unauthorized service are placed on a consumer's |
telephone bill. The bill requires a telephone utility to suspend |
collection efforts when a consumer alleges that a charge is |
unauthorized. Unless the provider of the service produces |
verification that the service was authorized by the consumer, the |
telephone utility must remove the charges and refund any prior |
payments for that service. The bill also authorizes the |
commission to protect consumers through imposition of an |
administrative fine on telecommunications utilities for violating |
a telecommunications consumer protection statute, rule or |
commission order. The fining authority is modeled on similar |
authority granted to the commission to enforce electric consumer |
protection standards. |