Current Status Bill Number:863 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19950524 Primary Sponsor:Ford All Sponsors:Ford Drafted Document Number:RES9751.RF Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 11 SJ Subject:Telephone equipment, rental of
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19950524 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND CHAPTER 9, TITLE 58 OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, RELATING TO DUTIES, RESTRICTIONS, AND RIGHTS OF TELEPHONE COMPANIES, BY ADDING SECTION 58-9-265 SO AS TO REQUIRE EVERY TELEPHONE COMPANY OR UTILITY, INCLUDING A LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE SERVICE PROVIDER, WHICH LEASES OR RENTS CUSTOMER PREMISES TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO PROVIDE CONSPICUOUS NOTICE TO EACH RESIDENTIAL TELEPHONE SERVICE CUSTOMER OF THE CUSTOMER'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE A LEASE OR RENTAL OF CUSTOMER PREMISES EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY THE TELEPHONE UTILITY.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Chapter 9, Title 58 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 58-9-265. (A) Every telephone company or utility, including a long distance telephone service provider, which leases or rents customer premises telephone equipment to residential customers, shall provide conspicuous notice to each residential telephone service customer of the customer's right to terminate a lease or rental of customer premises equipment provided by the telephone utility. This notice must be provided to each customer for three successive regular billing periods and must be conspicuously noted on the invoice for each of the three billing periods.
(B) The notice required by this section shall read as follows:
`EACH CUSTOMER WHO IS RENTING OR LEASING TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FROM (NAME OF TELEPHONE COMPANY) MAY TERMINATE THE LEASE OR RENTAL AGREEMENT BY RETURNING THE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT TO (RETURN LOCATION) . AFTER RETURNING THE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE BILLED FOR TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT BEGINNING (EFFECTIVE DATE OF TERMINATION, UNDER LEASE OR RENTAL AGREEMENT) . THE CURRENT COST OF LEASING OR RENTING TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FROM (NAME OF TELEPHONE COMPANY) IS $ (COST OF RENTAL OR LEASE) EACH TIME YOU ARE BILLED FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE. TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE THE RETURNED EQUIPMENT MAY BE PURCHASED AT MANY RETAIL STORES.'"
SECTION 2 . This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.