BILL ANALYSIS
AB 610
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 610 (Calderon)
As Amended June 21, 2005
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |57-19|(May 19, 2005) |SENATE: |25-12|(August 25, |
| | | | | |2005) |
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Original Committee Reference: U. & C.
SUMMARY : Requires cellular telephone companies provide
subscribers a means to obtain reasonably current information
about the Internet and text messaging usage and charges
associated with their service plan by January 1, 2007.
The Senate amendments delay the implementation date of this bill
from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires a provider of mobile telephony services to provide
subscribers with a means to obtain information on the
subscriber's calling plan, including roaming usage and
charges.
2)Makes legislative findings that mobile telephony service
subscribers may be unable to monitor their service usage and
charges.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill required cellular telephone
companies provide subscribers a means to obtain reasonably
current information about the internet and text messaging usage
and charges associated with their service plan by January 1,
2006.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to Legislative Counsel, this bill is
non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : According to the author's office, the purpose of
this bill is to prevent consumers from receiving unexpectedly
high cellular phone bills. The author notes that consumers can
currently access information regarding the amount of minutes
used and roaming charges, but not information on text messaging
AB 610
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charges or Internet usage.
Since 2002, the Legislature has taken several steps to ensure
that wireless customers have reasonable access to their current
account information. This information allows consumers to
modify their usage on a monthly basis to avoid incurring charges
over the cost of their monthly service plan. SB 1903
(O'Connell), Chapter 286, Statutes of 2002, required cellular
telephone companies to provide customers with a way to obtain
current information on their calling plans and usage. AB 1379
(Calderon), Chapter 333, Statutes of 2003, extended the
information available to subscribers to including roaming
charges in addition to minute usage. Neither of these bills
required the provision of data service usage information as
proposed in this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Adam Hunt / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083
FN: 0011601