BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1104|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 445-6614 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1104
Author: Levine (D)
Amended: 7/5/05 in Senate
Vote: 21
SEN. ENERGY, UTIL. & COMMUNICATIONS COMM. : 9-0, 6/21/05
AYES: Escutia, Morrow, Alarcon, Bowen, Campbell, Cox,
Dunn, Murray, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin, Kehoe
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 5/9/05 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Video provider billing practices
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill ensures that video service customers
are not billed after requesting to have their service
terminated.
ANALYSIS : Current law establishes minimum statewide
customer service rules for video service providers, which
include cable television service, satellite television
service, and another other retail provider of video
service.
This bill adds to those rules a requirement that a video
provider shall terminate service within seven business days
of receiving a request to terminate service, or on the date
the customer requests that service be terminated, if the
CONTINUED
AB 1104
Page
2
request is made more than seven business days in advance.
The bill provides that a video provider shall not bill for
services that have not been provided.
Background
Current law provides a number of protections for cable and
satellite television service customers. These include a
requirement to make repairs promptly, posting customer
payments promptly, having knowledgeable company
representatives available to respond to customer telephone
inquiries during normal business hours, and providing
adequate notice before raising rates or deleting channels.
This bill deals with the problem of cable operators
continuing to bill for service after the customer has
terminated the service and paid for the service up to the
termination date. In other words, the customer has
discontinued service, has paid all charges, but continues
to be billed for services which are not delivered.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Baca, Bass, Benoit, Berg,
Bermudez, Blakeslee, Bogh, Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez,
Chu, Cogdill, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, De La Torre, DeVore,
Dymally, Emmerson, Evans, Frommer, Garcia, Goldberg,
Hancock, Harman, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Huff,
Jones, Karnette, Keene, Klehs, La Malfa, La Suer, Laird,
Leno, Levine, Lieber, Matthews, Maze, McCarthy, Montanez,
Mountjoy, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nation, Nava, Negrete
McLeod, Niello, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley, Plescia, Richman,
Ridley-Thomas, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas,
Spitzer, Strickland, Torrico, Tran, Umberg, Vargas,
Villines, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Gordon, Haynes, Houston,
Koretz, Leslie, Liu
NC:cm 7/5/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
AB 1104
Page
3
**** END ****