An Act To Strengthen Maine's Consumer Protections against "Slamming"
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §2102, sub-§1, ¶A is enacted to read:
A. The commission may not grant approval to a telephone utility under this subsection unless the telephone utility submits evidence satisfactory to the commission that the telephone utility has at least $250,000 in fixed assets in this State or the telephone utility purchases and maintains a surety bond satisfactory to the commission in the amount of $250,000 to ensure the telephone utility has the financial ability to meet its obligations under this Title. This paragraph does not apply to a telephone utility authorized to provide telephone service in this State on the effective date of this paragraph.
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §7106, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 530, §1, is further amended to read:
A. Notwithstanding Title 32, chapter 69, subchapter 5 or Title 32, section 14716, and except as otherwise provided by the commission by rule adopted pursuant to subsection 3, a local or intrastate interexchange carrier may not initiate the change of a customer's local or intrastate carrier unless the change is expressly authorized by the customer as verified by one of the following methods:
(1) Written or electronically signed authorization from the customer;
(2) Toll-free electronic authorization placed from the telephone number that is the subject of the change order; or
(3) Oral authorization of the customer obtained by an independent 3rd party.
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §7106, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6. Customer education. The Public Advocate shall periodically inform telephone customers in the State of the protections and rights provided by this section.
Effective July 18, 2008