Telecom bills in Wis., Ill., Minn. and Mich. legislatures are sta...

transferring calls from toll-free numbers to pay-per-call service numbers or international numbers. Bill (SB-35) would make offense criminal misdemeanor punishable by fine of up to $10,000 and up to 90 days in jail. Measure now is before Assembly’s Information Policy & Technology Committee. Bill also would require preamble at start of pay-per-call service directing callers to inform Wis. Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection if they were connected without consent. Telecom carriers also would be required to furnish Wis. Dept. of Justice with data on call transfers between toll-free and pay-per-call numbers or international numbers. Legislation would prohibit telephone carriers from billing for pay-per- call providers convicted of rule violations, but would allow PSC to grant waivers from billing ban on case-by-case basis. Wis. Senate also passed bill (SB-260) that would conform state wireless service taxation to federal Mobile Telecom Sourcing Act. Wis. bill would tax mobile services if customers’ “place of primary use is within this state, regardless of where service originates or terminates.” Bill now is before Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Recent Ill. bill to prohibit publicly funded schools from selling their students’ personal information to marketers (HB-3641) has been assigned to House Rules Committee. But with only 6 session days remaining before Ill. House adjourns for year, it probably will be carried over to 2002 session. State Rep. John Curry (D-Mt. Zion), bill sponsor, said legislation would ensure that tax-supported school districts or public colleges and universities protected student identities. Bill would bar institutions from selling lists of student names, postal addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses to financial institutions that issued credit or debit cards or to commercial business enterprises such as retailers or telemarketers. New bill in Minn. legislature would prohibit toll charges for phone calls that originated and terminated within same school district. Supporters said bill (HF-2585) would help parents and students in sprawling rural school districts who now paid toll charges on calls between school and home. Measure has strong support from rural Democrats but strong resistance is expected from House Republicans. Bill is before House Regulated Industries Committee. Mich. Senate Judiciary Committee recessed for Thanksgiving break without taking action on House-passed “cybercourt” bill (HB- 4140) that would establish electronic online court with full legal authority to address business-to-business civil disputes over $25,000. Bill was scheduled for consideration Nov. 8 but was taken off calendar just before committee session. Panel will return Nov. 28 and will remain in session until mid-Dec.