AB889: Bill Text

AB889,8,25 100.207 (1) Definition Definitions. (intro.) In this section, "telecommunications:

AB889,9,1 (b) "Telecommunications service" has the meaning given in s. 196.01 (9m).

AB889, s. 14 Section 14. 100.207 (1) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,9,4 100.207 (1) (a) "Telecommunications provider" has the meaning given in s. 196.01 (8p).

AB889, s. 15 Section 15. 100.207 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,9,8 100.207 (1) (c) "Telecommunications subscription" means a contract between a telecommunications provider and a customer for a telecommunications service that is always provided to the customer during each billing period.

AB889, s. 16 Section 16. 100.207 (3g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,9,13 100.207 (3g) Billing for other services. (a) A telecommunications provider may not bill a customer for any goods or services, other than telecommunications service provided by the telecommunications provider, unless all of the following apply:

AB889,9,15 1. The telecommunications provider reasonably believes that the customer knowingly consented to the billing.

AB889,9,18 2. The telecommunications provider confirms with the customer, before providing the telecommunications service, that the customer knowingly consented to the billing.

AB889,9,20 (b) If a customer consents to being billed under par. (a), all of the following shall apply:

AB889,9,23 1. The telecommunications provider shall distinguish the billing for the other goods or services from the billing for the telecommunications service in a conspicuous manner approved by the department.

AB889,9,25 2. The telecommunications provider shall provide a detailed itemized listing of the charges for the goods or services if requested to do so by the customer.

AB889, s. 17 Section 17. 100.207 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,10,4 100.207 (3m) Telecommunications service confirmation. (a) A telecommunications provider may not provide a telecommunications service to a customer unless all of the following apply:

AB889,10,6 1. The telecommunications provider reasonably believes that the customer knowingly consented to receive the service.

AB889,10,9 2. The telecommunications provider confirms with the customer, before providing the telecommunications service, that the customer knowingly consented to receive the service.

AB889,10,13 3. At the time that the telecommunications provider provides confirmation under subd. 2., the telecommunications provider informs the customer that he or she may, before the service is activated, withdraw his or her consent to receive the service and informs the customer of the manner by which that consent may be withdrawn.

AB889,10,15 (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a telecommunications service that is provided as part of a telecommunications subscription.

AB889, s. 18 Section 18. 100.207 (5g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,10,20 100.207 (5g) Restrictions on contracts. No telecommunications provider may place in a contract entered into with a customer located in this state a clause that provides that a law of a state other than this state applies to the parties or terms of the contract or the rights and remedies under the contract.

AB889, s. 19 Section 19. 100.207 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,10,25 100.207 (5m) Record requirements. Any person who provides telecommunications service to any customer in this state shall maintain each billing and collection record that is made in providing the telecommunications service for a period of 5 years beginning on the date that the record is made.

AB889, s. 20 Section 20. 100.207 (6) (br) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,11,5 100.207 (6) (br) Any person who fails to comply with a subpoena, order, or civil investigative demand that is served upon the person for the purposes of administering or enforcing this section or for the purpose of conducting an investigation under this section may be coerced to comply as provided in s. 885.12.

AB889, s. 21 Section 21. 146.70 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,11,7 146.70 (3m) Wireless providers. (a) Definitions. In this subsection:

AB889,11,8 1. "Board" means the wireless 911 board.

AB889,11,11 2. "Federal wireless orders" means the orders of the federal communications commission regarding 911 emergency services for wireless telephone users in FCC docket no. 94-102.

AB889,11,13 3. "Wireless provider" means a commercial mobile radio service provider, as defined in s. 196.01 (2g), that is subject to the federal wireless orders.

AB889,11,18 4. "Wireless public safety answering point" means a facility to which a call on a wireless provider's system is initially routed for response, and on which a public agency directly dispatches the appropriate emergency service provider, relays a message to the appropriate emergency service provider, or transfers the call to the appropriate emergency services provider.

AB889,12,2 (b) Grants. 1. From the appropriations under s. 20.155 (3) (i) and (k), the board shall make grants to public agencies that operate public safety answering points for eligible expenses under par. (c). A public agency is eligible for a grant under this subdivision only if the board determines that the public agency is providing, or has begun to implement, 911 emergency services for wireless telephone users and has complied with the federal wireless orders. The total amount in grants that a public agency may receive under this subdivision may not exceed 50% of the public agency's total eligible expenses under par. (c).

AB889,12,6 2. From the appropriation under s. 20.155 (3) (h), the board shall make grants to wireless providers for actual expenses incurred by wireless providers to upgrade, purchase, lease, program, install, test, operate, or maintain all data, hardware, and software necessary to comply with the federal wireless orders.

AB889,12,14 3. If the board determines that there are insufficient funds in the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (3) (h) to make a grant under subd. 2., and the board has not paid a grant under subd. 1. or an installment under subd. 4. in the preceding 3 months, the board may make the grant to the wireless provider from the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (3) (i). If the board makes a grant under this subdivision, the board shall, as soon as practicable, transfer moneys from the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (3) (h) to the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (3) (k) in an amount equal to the amount of the grant.

AB889,12,17 4. If the board determines that there are insufficient funds in an appropriation to make a grant under this paragraph, the board may make the grant in installments.

AB889,12,20 5. The board shall contract for independent audits of applications for grants under this paragraph. An applicant shall provide an auditor with any relevant confidential business information.

AB889,12,24 (c) Public agency eligible expenses. 1. A public agency may receive a grant under par. (b) 1. for actual expenses that the public agency directly and primarily incurred for leasing, purchasing, operating, or maintaining a wireless public safety answering point, including expenses for all of the following:

AB889,13,3 a. Necessary network equipment, computer hardware and software, database equipment, and radio and telephone equipment, that are located within the public safety answering point.

AB889,13,4 b. Training operators of a public safety answering point.

AB889,13,6 c. Network costs for delivery of calls from a wireless provider to a public safety answering point.

AB889,13,8 2. Except for expenses under subd. 1., a public agency may not receive a grant under par. (b) 1. for any of the following:

AB889,13,11 a. Emergency service dispatch, including personnel, training, equipment, software, records management, radio communications, and mobile data network systems.

AB889,13,12 b. Vehicles and equipment in vehicles.

AB889,13,14 c. Communications equipment and software used to communicate with vehicles.

AB889,13,16 d. Real estate and improvements to real estate, other than improvements necessary to maintain the security of a public safety answering point.

AB889,13,17 e. Salaries and benefits of operators of a public safety answering point.

AB889,13,24 (d) Wireless surcharge. 1. Each wireless provider shall impose a surcharge of 50 cents per month for each telephone number that has a billable address in this state and shall identify the surcharge on a customer's bill on a separate line that is identified as "Wisconsin Wireless 911 Surcharge." The board may promulgate rules that increase or decrease the surcharge, except that the board may not increase the surcharge more than once per year, any increase must be uniform statewide and may not exceed 10 cents, and the surcharge may not exceed $1.

AB889,14,2 2. A wireless provider may not prorate the surcharge and shall collect the entire amount of the surcharge for a month of partial service.

AB889,14,9 3. The board shall promulgate rules establishing requirements for wireless providers to collect the surcharge from their customers beginning with the first bills issued after July 1, 2002. Except as provided in subd. 4., a wireless provider shall pay the surcharges to the board no more than 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which the surcharges are collected. The board shall bring an action to collect a surcharge that is not paid by a customer and the customer's wireless provider is not liable for the unpaid surcharge.

AB889,14,12 4. Wireless providers may retain 2% of the surcharges collected in fiscal year 2002-03 for reimbursing costs related to collecting the surcharge, including reprogramming billing systems.

AB889,14,17 (e) Confidentiality of information. The board may withhold from public inspection any information that would aid a competitor of a wireless provider in competition with the wireless provider. The board shall establish procedures for internal management that prohibit members of the board from having access to confidential business information submitted by wireless providers.

AB889,14,23 (f) Public information. The board shall promulgate rules establishing requirements and procedures for informing the public about the purpose and uses of the surcharge required under this subsection. The rules shall require the board to maintain a toll-free telephone number to provide such information to the public and require wireless providers to identify the toll-free number on bills and direct customers to contact the board regarding questions about the surcharge.

AB889,15,3 (g) Other charges prohibited. No city, village, town, county, or state agency, as defined in s. 16.375 (1), except the board, may require a wireless provider to collect or pay a surcharge or fee related to wireless emergency telephone service.

AB889,15,6 (h) Liability exemption. A wireless provider shall not be liable to any person who uses a wireless emergency telephone number system for which a grant is made under par. (b).

AB889,15,11 (i) Report to governor and legislature. Annually, the board shall submit a report to the governor, and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2), that describes the costs incurred by wireless providers and public agencies in providing wireless emergency telephone service and the grants made by the board.

AB889,15,13 (j) Board powers. The board shall possess all powers necessary or convenient for administering the requirements of this subsection.

AB889,15,15 (k) Sunset. This subsection does not apply after the first day of the 60th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date].

AB889, s. 22 Section 22. 196.02 (13) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,15,23 196.02 (13) Telephone numbers and area codes. To the extent authorized under federal law, the commission has jurisdiction to supervise and regulate telephone numbers and area codes used by any telecommunications provider in this state and to do all things necessary and convenient to such jurisdiction. The commission may withhold from public inspection any information obtained from a telecommunications provider under this subsection that would aid a competitor of the telecommunications provider.

AB889, s. 23 Section 23. 196.195 (12) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB889,16,6 196.195 (12) (a) To provide incentives for telecommunications utilities to achieve any of the goals listed in par. (b) 1. a., the commission may suspend any of the provisions listed in sub. (5) except ss. 196.19, 196.20 (1m), 196.22, 196.26, 196.37, 196.60 and 196.604, may grant an approval under par. (f), or may approve a regulatory method alternative to traditional rate-of-return regulation that does not require suspension of any provisions listed in sub. (5).

AB889, s. 24 Section 24. 196.195 (12) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,16,11 196.195 (12) (f) Notwithstanding pars. (d) 2. and (e) and s. 196.204 (5) (a) and (6) (b) 2., the commission may approve the provision of basic local exchange service by a telecommunications utility that is subject to this subsection at rates that match a competitor's rates for such service.

AB889, s. 25 Section 25. 196.196 (1) (em) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,16,17 196.196 (1) (em) Notwithstanding pars. (c), (d), and (e), a price-regulated telecommunications utility may, subject to the approval of the commission, adjust its rates for the purpose of recovering the utility's expenses incurred exclusively in supporting the provision of 911 emergency services for wireless telephone users under the federal wireless orders, as defined in s. 146.70 (3m) (a) 2.

AB889, s. 26 Section 26. 196.196 (1) (g) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB889,17,2 196.196 (1) (g) 1. (intro.) Five years after a telecommunications utility elects to become a price-regulated telecommunications utility or, if subd. 4. applies, within the dates specified in that subdivision, the commission shall hold a hearing, and at any time thereafter, upon complaint or on the commission's own motion, the commission may hold a hearing, to determine whether it is in the public interest to suspend one or more of the provisions of this subsection, except par. (em), as it applies to a price-regulated telecommunications utility or to approve an alternative regulatory method for that utility. In making a determination under this subdivision, the commission shall identify all of the following:

AB889, s. 27 Section 27. 196.196 (5) (f) 1. g. of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,17,5 196.196 (5) (f) 1. g. Competition for telecommunications services throughout the state.

AB889, s. 28 Section 28. 196.196 (5) (f) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,17,12 196.196 (5) (f) 4. The commission may require a telecommunications provider or provider of cable television service to submit to the commission any information that the commission determines is necessary to prepare the report under subd. 1. The commission may withhold from public inspection any information obtained under this subdivision that would aid a competitor of a telecommunications provider or provider of cable television service.

AB889, s. 29 Section 29. 196.202 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2001 Wisconsin Act 16, is renumbered 196.202 (2) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB889,17,17 196.202 (2) Scope of regulation. (intro.) A commercial mobile radio service provider is not subject to ch. 201 or this chapter, except as provided in sub. (5), and except that a as follows:

AB889,17,25 (a) A commercial mobile radio service provider is subject to s. 196.218 (3) if the commission promulgates rules that designate commercial mobile radio service providers as eligible to receive universal service funding under both the federal and state universal service fund programs. If the commission promulgates such rules, a commercial mobile radio service provider shall respond, subject to the protection of the commercial mobile radio service provider's competitive information, to all reasonable requests for information about its operations in this state from the commission necessary to administer the universal service fund.

AB889, s. 30 Section 30. 196.202 (2) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2001 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is repealed and recreated to read:

AB889,18,5 196.202 (2) Scope of regulation. (intro.) A commercial mobile radio service provider is not subject to ch. 201 or this chapter, except as provided in subs. (5) and (6), and except as follows:

AB889, s. 31 Section 31. 196.202 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,18,8 196.202 (2) (b) A commercial mobile radio service provider is subject to ss. 196.02 (13) and 196.196 (5) (f) 4.

AB889, s. 32 Section 32. 196.202 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,18,14 196.202 (6) Number portability. (a) In this subsection, "number portability" means the ability of a customer of a commercial mobile radio service provider who switches service to another telecommunications provider in the same area code to retain the telephone numbers that the customer used with that commercial mobile radio service provider.

AB889,18,17 (b) Each commercial mobile radio service provider shall provide number portability in all areas of the state in a manner that does not impair the quality or reliability of telecommunications services.

AB889, s. 33 Section 33. 196.499 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB889,18,21 196.499 (1) (b) A telecommunications carrier shall be treated under ss. 196.02 (13), 196.196 (5) (f) 4., 196.209, 196.218 (8) and 196.219 as a telecommunications provider.

AB889, s. 34 Section 34. 196.50 (4) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB889,18,24 196.50 (4) (title) Municipality Local governmental units and municipalities restrained.

AB889, s. 35 Section 35. 196.50 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 196.50 (4) (b) and amended to read:

AB889,19,8 196.50 (4) (b) No municipality may construct any public utility if there is in operation under an indeterminate permit in the municipality a public utility engaged in similar service other than a telecommunications service, unless it secures from the commission a declaration, after a public hearing of all parties interested, that public convenience and necessity require the municipal public utility and unless the requirements of par. (c) are satisfied.

AB889, s. 36 Section 36. 196.50 (4) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

AB889,19,10 196.50 (4) (a) In this subsection: