The House passed calling card legislation in a 381-41 recorded...
The House passed calling card legislation in a 381-41 recorded vote late Wednesday. The bill, HR-3993, was approved under suspension of the rules, which prevented amendments and meant that a two-thirds majority was required for passage. Democrats and Republicans voted…
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for the bill, but only Republicans objected. The bill would require disclosure of provider information, the card’s number of minutes or dollar value, per-minute rates, fees and charges, time period limits and expiration dates, and refund and recharge policies. It would also require the FTC to prosecute violations. “Just like the nutrition information on a box of cereal, consumers should be able to quickly and easily compare two [calling cards] side by side,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., on the House floor Wednesday. The legislation would herald the “end of hidden fees in the prepaid calling card market,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., applauded close bipartisan work and said the bill would help consumers “without hampering unduly the industry.” The legislation now moves to the Senate, which has a similar bill (S-563) by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.