Telecom bills became law in Kan. and Minn., while Cal. Assembly a...

“ADV:” at start of subject line and bans false or misleading information in subject line. Only exception would be where recipient has existing business relationship with sender or has authorized sender to e-mail its ads. New law also bans sending spam to recipients who have given notice that they no longer want to see sender’s commercial messages. Violators face fines up to $10,000 per offending message. Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura (Ind.) signed bill (SF-2392) to streamline 911 service reimbursement process and make numerous changes in 911 service standards to reflect changes in telecom technology. New law removes Minn. PUC from 911 reimbursement process. Previously, PUC signed off on reimbursements to service providers that provided actual 911 telephone services to local governments. Measure emerged from conference committee shorn of controversial House amendment that would have appropriated money from state’s general fund to support 911 answering points. Cal. Assembly passed price cap restriction bill (AB-2898) that would go beyond just continuing suspension of sharing and indexing for Pac Bell and Verizon as provided in cap bill (AB-2958) Assembly passed last week. New bill would bar imposition of sharing or indexing on any price-capped incumbent telco. Bill, if it became law, would require PUC to modify cap plans currently applied to Roseville Telephone and Citizens Telecom to eliminate their sharing and indexing provisions. That bill faces roughly same supporters and opposition as AB-2958, which is pending before Senate Energy, Utilities & Commerce Committee.