Mont. Gov. Judy Martz (R) signed a bill allowing use of electroni...
Mont. Gov. Judy Martz (R) signed a bill allowing use of electronic signatures for carrier change verifications, even as the legislature sent 2 more telecom bills to her desk. The new law (HB-562) eliminates a former legal requirement that…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
carriers must have a customer’s handwritten signature on a letter of authorization for a carrier switch. The new law allowing use of electronic signatures was requested by the state PSC to facilitate carrier changes while maintaining protection against slamming. Meanwhile, the legislature passed and sent to Martz SB-132 that would give the Mont. Dept. of Administration jurisdiction over state 911 systems. It would authorize the dept. to set up rules and procedures for evaluating local 911 and E-911 plans, regulate facilities used for 911 service and establish requirements for 911 program participation and reporting. Finally, the legislature sent Martz a bill (SB-173) that would allow the PSC to alter the definition of “service area” for determining rural universal service support. The bill would require that the PSC consult with the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and take its recommendations into account before altering a universal service area. Currently, the PSC must follow the service areas established by the FCC.