BILL NUMBER: AB 610	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 5, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Calderon

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2005

   An act to amend Section 2890.2 of the Public Utilities Code,
relating to telecommunications.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 610, as amended, Calderon.  Telecommunications: mobile
telephony services.
   Existing law requires a provider of mobile telephony services, as
defined, no later than January 1, 2004, to provide subscribers with a
means by which a subscriber can obtain reasonably current and
available information on the subscriber's calling plan or plans and
service usage, including roaming usage and charges.
   This bill would  additionally  require that a provider of
mobile telephony services provide subscribers  , no later
than January 1, 2006,  with a means by which a subscriber
can obtain reasonably current and available information on the
subscriber's  calling plan or plans and service usage,
including roaming usage and charges and  text messaging and
Internet usage and charges.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 2890.2 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:
   2890.2.
   (a)  No later than January 1, 2006, a   A
 provider of mobile telephony services shall provide subscribers
with a means by which a subscriber can obtain reasonably current and
available information, as determined by the provider, on the
subscriber's calling plan or plans and service usage, including
roaming usage and charges and text messaging and Internet usage and
charges.
   (b) Each provider of mobile telephony services shall inform
subscribers at the time service is established of the availability of
the information described in subdivision (a) and how it may be
obtained.
   (c) For purposes of this section, "mobile telephony services"
means commercially available interconnected mobile phone services
that provide access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN)
via mobile communication devices employing radiowave technology to
transmit calls, including cellular radiotelephone, broadband Personal
Communications Services (PCS), and digital Specialized Mobile Radio
(SMR). "Mobile telephony services" does not include mobile satellite
services or mobile data services used exclusively for the delivery of
nonvoice information to a mobile device.   
  SEC. 2.  Section 1 of Chapter 286 of the Statutes of 2002 is
amended to read:
   Section 1.
   The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) Mobile telephony service subscribers may currently be unable
to monitor their call time minutes, including roaming usage and
charges and text messaging and Internet usage and charges, and, as a
result, they face higher rates because they unknowingly exceed the
number of minutes included under their plans.
   (b) Mobile telephony service subscribers need reasonably accurate
information relative to their current service usage in order to
enable them to better utilize their particular calling plans.
   (c) Providing mobile telephony service subscribers with a
reasonable estimate that includes a differentiation between the types
of usage covered by their plans, such as "peak" versus "free"
minutes, will enable subscribers to make informed decisions about
their mobile telephony service.
   (d) The Legislature intends to require the provision of reasonably
available usage information by mobile telephony service providers by
January 1, 2006.
   (e) Technology exists to provide mobile telephony service
subscribers with reasonably accurate information relative to their
current service usage, including roaming usage and charges and text
messaging and Internet usage and charges, and this type of
information can be obtained through a variety of sources, including,
but not limited to, mobile telephony service providers, Internet Web
sites, and traditional telephone customer service providers, such as
1-800 telephone numbers.
   (f) The Legislature intends that reasonably available, current
usage information be provided to all mobile telephony service
subscribers, taking into consideration technical limitations that may
affect reporting to a consumer, including, but not limited to,
limitations on reporting "roaming" minutes incurred when a mobile
telephony service subscriber is outside his or her plan coverage area
and text messaging and Internet usage and charges.