STATES
MISSOURI -- Lawmakers seek to oust three PSC members
LOUISIANA -- PSC elects new leadership
MONTANA -- House unanimously approves Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act
MONTANA -- Lawmakers to examine price cap regulation
IOWA -- Bill aims to provide equal treatment for cable TV companies
ILLINOIS -- ICC seeks extension of 10-digit dialing in Chicago area
HAWAII -- Bill targets drivers' use of handheld wireless phones
OKLAHOMA -- Bill calls on OCC to provide EAS for every exchange
MASS. -- Bill would create nonprofit corporation to manage DTE info
service
NEW YORK -- Bills aim to protect consumer privacy
MISSOURI -- PSC gives ALLTEL more time to comply with billing rules
N.D. -- ISPs would have to notify customers about long distance charges
under bill
PENNSYLVANIA -- Verizon starts laying fiber in Altoona area

FUTURE OF REGULATION
MISSOURI
Lawmakers seek to oust three PSC members

Rep. Dennis Bonner (D., District 51) and Sen. Ronnie DePasco (D.,
District 11) are trying to oust three members of the Public Service
Commission who refused to hold a public hearing before the PSC approved
a Missouri Gas Energy application to raise its rates by 44%.  Bonner
filed a resolution in the House yesterday afternoon seeking the removal
of the commissioners, and DePasco plans to file an identical resolution
in the Senate today, Bonner told TR.

The 44% rate hike was "ridiculous," Bonner told TR.  "People in my
district can't afford to pay that."  Bonner said, however, that he
"would have been happy if [the commissioners] would have held a
hearing."  Bonner said he and DePasco had warned the PSC in advance that
they would try to expel any commissioners who approved the rate hike
request without holding a public hearing first.

The three commissioners who voted in favor of the rate increase were
Chairwoman Sheila Lumpe and Commissioners Connie Murray and M. Dianne
Drainer.  Bonner and DePasco aren't trying to remove commissioners
Kelvin Simmons and Robert Schemenauer, who voted against the rate
increase.

FUTURE OF REGULATION
LOUISIANA
PSC elects new leadership

The Public Service Commission has elected Commissioner James M. Field
(R., District 2) as its new chairman, a commission staff member told
TR.  Commissioner Jack A. (Jay) Blossman Jr. (R., District 1) was
elected vice chairman.

Field joined the PSC Dec. 2, 1996, and his term ends Dec. 31, 2006.
Blossman became a commission member Jan. 1, 1997, and his term expires
Dec. 31, 2002.

INTERNET
MONTANA
House unanimously approves Uniform Electronic Transactions Act

The House has approved overwhelmingly a Uniform Electronic Transaction
Act to prohibit anyone from denying legal effect or enforceability to a
record or signature solely because it's in electronic form.  (1/19/01
a.m.)  Secretary of State Mike Cooney (D.) requested HB 234, which was
sponsored officially by Rep. Bob Lawson (R., District 80).

Each government agency would be able to determine whether and to what
extent it would send and accept electronic records and electronic
signatures.  Government agencies, however, wouldn't be limited to any
specific types of technologies.

HB 234 also states that electronic signatures would be valid only if all
parties agreed to conduct a transaction electronically.  If a party
agreed to conduct one transaction by electronic means, the party could
refuse to conduct other transactions electronically.  This right to opt
out of electronic transactions couldn't be waived.

HB 234 awaits consideration by the Senate Business and Labor Committee.

ALTERNATIVE REGULATION
MONTANA
Lawmakers to examine price cap regulation

State lawmakers will be considering a bill to allow telecom carriers to
opt out of rate-of-return regulation if they accept price cap
regulation.  LC 655, which awaits introduction, states that a local
exchange carrier's (LEC's) election to accept price cap regulation would
be irrevocable.  Qwest Corp. proposed the bill's language, the
legislative staff told TR.  Sen. Fred Thomas (R., District 31) requested
the measure.

LB 655 would set a LEC's price caps at the permanent rates last
authorized by the Public Service Commission for the company before it
elected to come under the new regulatory structure.  The price floors
would be set at total-service long-run incremental cost.

The new prices set under the price cap regulation would be indefinite;
no specific time reference is included in the draft bill.  The PSC
wouldn't be able to change the price caps unless changes were needed to
reflect a new tax or fee.  The prices also could change to allow a LEC
to recover the additional cost of providing a new telecom service or the
expense of a new or expanded program, such as an extended area service
region.

Additionally, the prices could change if the LEC filed an application
with the PSC and justified a change in a price cap.  The commission
would have 60 days to act on the application.

If a complaint were filed by a consumer or consumer counsel regarding
the company's prices and the PSC found the company had violated the
provisions of this measure, the commission would have the authority to
order the LEC to comply with the measure.  The draft bill is available
at http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/2001/lchtml/LC0655.htm.

VIDEO
IOWA
Bill aims to provide equal treatment for cable TV companies

Sen. Mary Lundby (R., District 26) has introduced SF 47 to require a
city granting more than one cable TV franchise to make the terms and
conditions of the additional franchise no more favorable and no less
burdensome than those of the existing franchise agreement.

Terms and conditions would include the territorial extent of the
franchise; system design; technical performance standards; construction
schedule; performance bonds; standards for construction and installation
of cable TV facilities; service to subscribers; public, government, and
educational access channels and programming; liability and
indemnification; and franchise fees.

If the terms or conditions of any additional franchise were more
favorable or less burdensome than the terms or conditions of any
existing cable TV franchise, the more favorable or less burdensome terms
or conditions also would apply for any existing cable TV franchise.

SF 47 has been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT
ILLINOIS
ICC seeks extension of 10-digit dialing in Chicago area

The state Commerce Commission yesterday asked the FCC to extend a waiver
it granted to the commission to delay implementation of 10-digit dialing
in the Chicago metropolitan area until April 1.

On Jan. 17 North American Numbering Plan administrator (NANPA) NeuStar,
Inc., informed the ICC that the last NXX code in the "847" area code had
been assigned and that the first NXX code in the "224" "overlay" would
be assigned in 30 days.  Activation would occur 90 days thereafter.

Assuming that NANPA is correct, and that there are no NXX codes in the
847 NPA that should be returned, activation of the first code in the 225
NPA may occur on or after May 17, the ICC said..  It said its success
forestalling exhaustion of the five Chicago codes may cause the
temporary waiver to expire before activation of a single new NXX code in
the 224 overlay or any other Chicago area code.  (CC docket 96-98)

WIRELESS
HAWAII
Bill targets drivers' use of handheld wireless phones

Rep. K. Mark Takai (D., District 34) has introduced HB 225 to make it
illegal to drive while talking on a handheld wireless phone.  Persons
convicted of using their wireless phones while driving would face a
maximum $100 fine for a first offense.  Violators could face a maximum
$200 fine for second offenses and a maximum $500 fine for any additional
offenses.

In addition to the fines, anyone caught violating the measure would be
required to attend a traffic safety class and pay a $50 driver
assessment fee.

HB 225 would provide exemptions for any drivers making "911" emergency
calls, reporting traffic accidents, or having a reason to fear for their
lives.  The bill awaits consideration by House Transportation Committee
and the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
OKLAHOMA
Bill calls on OCC to provide EAS for every exchange

Sen. Frank Shurden (D., District 8) has prefiled SB 151 to require the
Corporation Commission to expand the state's current wide area calling
(or extended area service) plans to include every local exchange in the
state.  The OCC would have to implement wide area calling plans that
correspond to the areas served by the "405," "580," and "918" number
planning areas.

The bill acknowledges that the OCC can implement the wide area numbering
plans only to the extent possible under federal law.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT
MASSACHUSETTS
Bill would create nonprofit corporation to manage DTE info service

Sen. Linda J. Melconian (D., Hampden) has introduced SB 400 to create a
nonprofit corporation called Mass211, Inc., to administer the
information and referral service established by the Department of
Telecommunications and Energy.

Last year the DTE ordered the abbreviated dialing code "211" to be
assigned to the service.  The service will refer callers to agencies
that deal with domestic violence, substance abuse, elder services,
crisis intervention, health care, housing, food and fuel donations,
support groups, family counseling, and a range of other health and human
services.  (5/22/00 a.m.)

The bill has been referred to the Government Regulations Committee.  Its
text is available at http://www.state.ma.us/legis/bills/st00400.htm.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
NEW YORK
Bills aim to protect consumer privacy

Legislators are considering three bills to enhance phone customers'
privacy.  Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky (D., District 86) has
introduced AB 1390 to prohibit the "transmission of unsolicited bulk
electronic mail."  The bill would establish criminal and civil penalties
to be assessed against violators of the proposed anti-spamming law.  AB
1390 has been referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and
Protection; its text is available at
http://assembly.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/showtext?billnum=A01390.

Assemblyman Scott M. Stringer (D., District 67) has introduced AB 1668
to require local exchange carriers to provide, free of charge, unlisted
telephone numbers for victims of domestic violence.  The bill has been
referred to the Committee on Corporations.  Its text is available at
http://assembly.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/showtext?billnum=A01669.

AB 1589, sponsored by Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr. (D., District 43),
aims to protect users of cordless and mobile phones against
eavesdropping.  The measure would prohibit the "mechanical overhearing
of a conversation" when the person "overhearing the conversation knows
that it emanates" from a cordless or mobile telephone.  The bill resides
in the Committee on Codes.  Its text is available at
http://assembly.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/showtext?billnum=A01589.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
MISSOURI
PSC gives ALLTEL more time to comply with billing rules

The Public Service Commission has granted ALLTEL Missouri, Inc.'s
request for an extension until March 31 to comply with two new billing
rules.  The commission's order adopts an agreement reached by ALLTEL,
the commission staff, and the public counsel.

On Sept. 22, 2000, ALLTEL told the PSC it couldn't update fully its
billing program to accommodate the new rules until March 31 and asked
for an exemption until that time.  The billing rules went into effect at
the end of October 2000.

The agreement calls for ALLTEL to continue sending its traditional
notice of discontinuance until the company begins following a new rule
on "discontinuance of service to residential customers."  In addition,
the agreement requires ALLTEL to review manually each account for which
service is at risk of being disconnected until the company implements
the new billing rules.  The agreement also asked ALLTEL to continue
sending notices to customers who haven't paid their accounts.  The
notices must inform customers when they must pay to avoid losing
service.

The PSC's order is available at
http://www.psc.state.mo.us/orders/01231204.htm.
(Case no. TE-2001-204 - In the Matter of ALLTEL Missouri, Inc.'s
Application for Variance of Certain Provisions of Chapter 33, Service
and Billing Practices for Telecommunications Companies)

LONG DISTANCE
NORTH DAKOTA
ISPs would have to notify customers about long distance charges under
bill

Rep. Byron Clark (R., District 44) and Sen. Tim Flakoll (R., District
44) have introduced HB 1473 to require Internet service providers (ISPs)
to provide subscribers an on-screen warning if a toll charge will be
incurred for the connection between the subscriber and the ISP.  HB 1473
has been referred to the House Political Subdivisions Committee.

ADVANCED SERVICES
PENNSYLVANIA
Verizon starts laying fiber in Altoona area

Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc., has begun installing fiber optic cable and
electronic equipment in Altoona and in the nearby communities of
Grandview, Asbury Lane, and Riggles Gap.  The company said it's
investing $1.5 million to modernize the local network and provide
additional broadband capability to its customers in the area.

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