House Sponsors: HAMOS-CROSS-MAY-PERSICO-MOORE, BOST, HULTGREN, RUTHERFORD, BEAUBIEN, LYONS,JOSEPH, BELLOCK, HOWARD, MATHIAS, SOTO, DELGADO, YARBROUGH, PARKE AND MEYER. Senate Sponsors: SULLIVAN-MAHAR Short description: TELECOMMUNICATIONS-CARRIERS Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the Public Utilities Act. Adds a caption to a Section concerning the definition of "telecommunications carrier". SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 3. Deletes reference to: 220 ILCS 5/13-202 Adds reference to: 15 ILCS 205/6.5 30 ILCS 105/5.545 new 30 ILCS 105/5.546 new 30 ILCS 780/5-20 new 30 ILCS 780/5-30 220 ILCS 5/1-102 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1-102 220 ILCS 5/2-101 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-101 220 ILCS 5/2-202 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-202 220 ILCS 5/8-101 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-101 220 ILCS 5/9-230 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-230 220 ILCS 5/10-101.1 new 220 ILCS 5/13-101 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-101 220 ILCS 5/13-202.5 new 220 ILCS 5/13-216 new 220 ILCS 5/13-217 new 220 ILCS 5/13-218 new 220 ILCS 5/13-219 new 220 ILCS 5/13-220 new 220 ILCS 5/13-301.1 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-301.1 220 ILCS 5/13-301.2 new 220 ILCS 5/13-301.3 new 220 ILCS 5/13-303 new 220 ILCS 5/13-303.5 new 220 ILCS 5/13-304 new 220 ILCS 5/13-305 new 220 ILCS 5/13-407 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-407 220 ILCS 5/13-501 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-501 220 ILCS 5/13-502 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-502 220 ILCS 5/13-502.5 new 220 ILCS 5/13-509 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-509 220 ILCS 5/13-514 220 ILCS 5/13-515 220 ILCS 5/13-516 220 ILCS 5/13-517 new 220 ILCS 5/13-518 new 220 ILCS 5/13-712 new 220 ILCS 5/13-713 new 220 ILCS 5/13-801 from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-801 220 ILCS 5/13-902 220 ILCS 5/13-903 new 220 ILCS 5/13-1200 new 220 ILCS 5/13-803 rep. 815 ILCS 505/2DD Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Attorney General Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to intervene in, initiate, enforce, and defend all legal proceedings on matters relating to telecommunications when necessary to protect the rights of Illinois citizens. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Public Utilities Act is not intended to limit the power of a State's Attorney and the Attorney General under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that when there is no vacancy on the Illinois Commerce Commission, 4 members constitute a quorum. Increases the threshold for filing estimated taxes to $10,000. Provides for transfers of money from the Public Utility Fund to the General Revenue Fund when the balance in the Public Utility Fund exceeds $5,000,000 rather than $2,500,000. Authorizes the Commerce Commission to seek a court order to stop violations by telecommunications carriers. Authorizes the Commission to assess civil penalties on telecommunications carriers. Authorizes penalties of up to 0.00875% of a carrier's gross intrastate annual telecommunications revenue. Establishes a procedure for recovery of civil penalties by the Commission. Prohibits telecommunications carriers from unreasonably refusing access to operation support systems to other carriers and from failing to provide unbundled services as required by the Illinois Commerce Commission or the Federal Communications Commission. Establishes competitive market requirements for carriers that offer both competitive and noncompetitive services. Establishes procedures for the authorization and verification of a subscriber's change in telecommunications carrier. Provides for the Commission to establish a program for enhanced enrollment for lifeline services in cooperation with the Departments of Commerce and Community Affairs, Human Services, and Public Aid. Establishes standards for quality of basic local service. Creates a program to foster the elimination of the digital divide and allows customer contributions for that purpose. Establishes the Digital Divide Elimination Infrastructure Fund and authorizes the Commission to use moneys in the Fund to make grants to for the purpose of constructing high-speed data transmission facilities in areas of the State where local exchange carriers have not established those facilities. Changes the repeal date for the Telecommunications Article of the Public Utilities Act from July 1, 2001 to July 1, 2005. Amends the Eliminate the Digital Divide Law to create the Digital Divide Elimination Fund. Provides that 20% of certain fines under the Public Utilities Act shall be placed in the Fund and used for grants. Creates the Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders. Authorizes the Committee to advise the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs regarding criteria for grants. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to prohibit a telecommunications carrier from offering products or services to be billed on a telephone bill except in compliance with the Public Utilities Act. Effective June 30, 2001. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 4. Provides that a telecommunications carrier may use an incumbent local exchange carrier's network for the provision of services to the telecommunications carrier's end users or payphone service providers in the LATA. Provides that this amendatory Act does not require or prohibit the substitution of switched or special services by or with a combination of network elements nor address the Commerce Commission's jurisdiction or authority in that area. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 92-0022 Last action date: JUN-28-2001 Location: House Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 0 SENATE - 2 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status