Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 5.djvu/544

 106 STAT. 4182 PUBLIC LAW 102-556 —OCT. 28, 1992 billing disputes if they are to use this new marketplace for the s£de of products of more than nominal value. TITLE I—CARRIER OBLIGATIONS AND CONSUMER RIGHTS CONCERNING PAY-PER-CALL TRANSACTIONS SEC. 101. AMENDMENT TO COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934. Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section: 47 USC 228. <«EC. 228. REGULATION OF CARRIER OFFERING OF PAY-PEIU^ALL SERVICES. " (a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section— "(1) to put into effect a system of national regulation and review that will oversee interstate pay-per-call services; and ''(2) to recognize the Commission's authority to prescribe regulations and enforcement procedures and conduct oversight to afford reasonable protection to consumers of pay-per-^1 services and to assure that violations of Federal law do not occur. "(b) GENERAL AUTHORITY FOR REGULATIONS. —The Commission by regulation shall, within 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, establish a system for oversight and regulation of pay-per-call services in order to provide for the protection of consumers in accordance with this Act and other applicable Federal statutes and regulations. The Commission's final nues shall— "(1) include measures that provide a consumer of pay- per-call services with adequate and clear descriptions of the rights of the caller; "(2) define the obligations of common carriers with respect to the provision of pay-per-call services; "(3) include requirements on such carriers to protect against abusive practices by providers of pay-per-call services; "(4) identify procedures by which common carriers and providers of pay-per-call services may take affirmative steps to protect against nonpayment of legitimate charges; and "(5) require that any service described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (i)(1) be offered only through the use of certain telephone number prefixes and area codes. "(c) COMMON CARRIER OBLIGATIONS. — Within 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission shall, by regulation, establish the following requirements for conmion carriers: "(1) CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY.—Any common carrier assigning to a provider of pay-per-call services a telephone number with a prefix or area code designated by the Commission in accordance with subsection (b)(5) shall require by contract or tariff that such provider comply with the provisions of titles II and III of the Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act and the regulations prescribed by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to those titles. "(2) INFORMATION AVAILABILITY. —A common carrier that by tariff or contract assigns a telephone number with a prefix or area code designated by the Commission in accordance with

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