[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4018 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4018

        To identify the current levels of savings and costs to 
    telecommunications carriers as a result of the enactment of the 
    Telecommunications Act of 1996, to require accurate billing by 
    telecommunications carriers with respect to the costs and fees 
resulting from the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 1998

 Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Baldacci, 
 Mr. McGovern, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mrs. Morella, Ms. Furse, 
 and Mr. DeFazio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To identify the current levels of savings and costs to 
    telecommunications carriers as a result of the enactment of the 
    Telecommunications Act of 1996, to require accurate billing by 
    telecommunications carriers with respect to the costs and fees 
resulting from the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY OF COSTS AND SAVINGS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the 
following:
            (1) the total cost savings to that telecommunications 
        carriers have obtained as a result of the enactment of the 
        Telecommunications Act of 1996;
            (2) the extent to which such cost savings have been passed 
        through to the customers of such telecommunications carriers; 
        and
            (3) any additional costs which telecommunications carriers 
        have incurred as a result of the enactment of the 
        Telecommunications Act of 1996.
    (b) Submission of Report.--The Comptroller General shall submit to 
the Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report on the results of the study required by subsection (a) within 60 
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Review of Records.--
            (1) Authority.--For purposes of the investigation under 
        subsection (a), the Comptroller General may obtain from any 
        telecommunications carrier any record of the carrier that is 
        relevant to the investigation.
            (2) Use.--The Comptroller General may use records obtained 
        under this subsection only for purposes of the investigation.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS IMPOSING CERTAIN 
              FEES FOR SERVICES.

    (a) Requirements.--Any telecommunications carrier that includes on 
any of the bills sent to its customers a charge described in subsection 
(b) shall--
            (1) specify in the bill imposing such charge any reduction 
        in charges or fees allocable to all classes of customers 
        (including customers of residential basic service, customers of 
        other residential services, small business customers, and other 
        business customers) by reason of any regulatory action of the 
        Federal Government; and
            (2) submit to the Federal Communications Commission the 
        reports required to be submitted by the carrier to the 
        Securities and Exchange Commission under sections 13(a) and 
        15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 
        78m(a), 78o(d)).
    (b) Covered Charges.--Subsection (a) applies in the case of the 
following charges:
            (1) Any specific charge included after June 30, 1997, if 
        the imposition of the charge is attributed to a regulatory 
        action of the Federal Government.
            (2) Any specific charge included before that date if the 
        description of the charge is changed after that date to 
        attribute the imposition of the charge to a regulatory action 
        of the Federal Government.
                                 <all>