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| To enact section 4905.76 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
| prohibit late charges on bills for telephone | 2 |
| service, wireless service, and voice over internet | 3 |
| protocol service. | 4 |
| Section 1. That section 4905.76 of the Revised Code be | 5 |
| enacted to read as follows: | 6 |
| Sec. 4905.76. (A) As used in this section: | 7 |
| (1) "Voice over internet protocol service" means a service | 8 |
| that uses a broadband connection from an end user's location and | 9 |
| enables real-time, two-way, voice communications that originate or | 10 |
| terminate from the user's location using internet protocol or a | 11 |
| successor protocol, including, but not limited to, any such | 12 |
| service that permits an end user to receive calls from and | 13 |
| terminate calls to the public switched network. | 14 |
| (2) "Wireless service" means federally licensed commercial | 15 |
| mobile service as defined in the "Telecommunications Act of 1996," | 16 |
| 110 Stat. 61, 151, 153, 47 U.S.C. 332(d) and further defined as | 17 |
| commercial mobile radio service in 47 C.F.R. 20.3. Under division | 18 |
| (A)(2) of this section, commercial mobile radio service is | 19 |
| specifically limited to mobile telephone, mobile cellular | 20 |
| telephone, paging, personal communications services, and | 21 |
| specialized mobile radio service provided by a common carrier in | 22 |
| this state and excludes fixed wireless service. | 23 |
| (3) "Wireless service provider" means a facilities-based | 24 |
| provider of wireless service to one or more end users in this | 25 |
| state. | 26 |
| (B) A public utility that is a telephone company shall not | 27 |
| assess any late payment fee or charge or interest on a customer's | 28 |
| bill for telephone service if a customer makes payment after the | 29 |
| due date of the bill. | 30 |
| (C) No wireless service provider or provider of voice over | 31 |
| internet protocol service shall assess any late payment fee or | 32 |
| charge or interest on a customer's bill for wireless service or | 33 |
| voice over internet protocol service if the customer makes payment | 34 |
| after the due date of the bill. The prohibition in division (C) of | 35 |
| this section shall apply to the extent permitted by federal law | 36 |
| governing these services and service providers. | 37 |
| (D) The public utilities commission shall not approve either | 38 |
| of the following: | 39 |
| (1) An application for a rate, joint rate, toll, | 40 |
| classification, charge, or rental, or modification, amendment, | 41 |
| change, increase, or reduction made for telephone service pursuant | 42 |
| to section 4909.18 of the Revised Code if that application | 43 |
| includes an assessment of any late payment fee, charge, or | 44 |
| interest on a customer's bill if the customer makes a payment | 45 |
| after the bill's due date. | 46 |
| (2) An application for the establishment of rates and charges | 47 |
| for public telecommunications service pursuant to section 4927.04 | 48 |
| of the Revised Code if that application includes an assessment of | 49 |
| any late payment fee, charge, or interest on a customer's bill if | 50 |
| the customer makes a payment after the bill's due date. | 51 |