New York state Sen. Alexis Weik (R) on Friday introduced SB-8552, which would bar advertising cannabis and cannabis products on TV and radio. Violations would carry a $5,000 fine and revocation of license or registration. The bill was referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) on Friday introduced SB-1078, which would extend the state's $1.95 911 surcharge until Feb. 1, 2029. The surcharge is set to expire Jan. 31. A similar bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania House last week (see 2510240039). The Senate bill was referred to that chamber's Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission signed off on Verizon's acquisition of Frontier Communications on the condition that Verizon set aside at least $60 million to improve copper service for plain old telephone service (POTS) subscribers. In an order Friday, the PSC said Verizon had committed to hiring 25 additional full-time technicians in West Virginia before the end of 2026, and it will remain the carrier of last resort, but there were questions about whether the joint stipulation would assure the provision of adequate and reliable service. That stipulation addresses broadband but not copper service, where service failures "remain pervasive." The commission said Verizon must agree to focus on improved POTS service using copper or alternative methods and to back up that commitment by establishing an escrow fund for upgrading, maintaining and replacing the state's copper network.
Michigan state Rep. Mike Harris (R) on Thursday introduced HB-5123, which would modify the state's uniform video services local franchise law and make clear that streaming services and direct-to-home satellite services don't count as video service providers under the law. Meanwhile, Rep. Will Snyder (D) introduced HB-5124, which would revise the franchise law by changing the date when the state Public Service Commission provides its annual report to the governor and legislature on the status of video services competition in Michigan from Feb. 1 to April 1. HB-5124 would also require video service providers to register with the state PSC.
Pennsylvania Rep. Brenda Pugh (R) last week introduced HB-1982, which extends the state's $1.95 911 surcharge that's set to expire Jan. 31, to Jan. 31, 2029. The bill was referred to the Pennsylvania House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. The surcharge is levied on retail wireless phone and prepaid cellphone minutes, as well as phone card transactions.
The Michigan Legislature on Tuesday passed HB-4375 and HB-4376, which together amend the state's sales tax and use tax rules to exclude any credit used as partial retail payment for a portable electronic device from the taxable price of that device.
The inclusion of text messages in Texas' telemarketing law is one of several expanded consumer protections that went into effect Sept. 1, Epstein Becker lawyers John Barry and Lisa Pierce Reisz wrote Monday. Among other changes to the law, it now requires telemarketing businesses to register with the Texas secretary of state each location from which telephone solicitations are made, as well as post a $10,000 security bond and comply with new disclosure requirements for calls and texts, the lawyers said. The changes also introduced penalties for violations, they said, adding that Texas is one of several states to beef up their versions of what is already a complex federal regulatory framework.
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine (R) said Monday he signed Keith's Law (HB-144), which expands the state's voluntary communication disability database to include any person with a disability. It also expands access to the database through countywide 911 systems, so first responders can get the information.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Monday that he signed into law S-3132/A-4334, which tightens regulation of secondhand dealers of cellphones and wireless communication devices. Among other things, the legislation bars a secondhand dealer from selling or sharing information about the person who sold them the device without the previous owner's written consent.
CTIA is backing a pair of bills in Massachusetts that would exempt broadband equipment purchases for network expansions and improvements from sales and use taxes. The bills, H-3119 and S-1996, were among an array of telecommunications bills on the agenda for a hearing Friday before the Massachusetts Legislature's Revenue Joint Committee, but there was no testimony about them. In a letter last week to state Sen. James Eldridge (D), the committee's chairman, CTIA said Massachusetts is one of three Northeast states with a tax on broadband equipment investments, while Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania don't impose sales or use taxes, and Delaware and New Hampshire don't impose sales taxes. Current law “puts Massachusetts at a competitive disadvantage,” the group said. An exemption “would ensure that every dollar invested in Massachusetts would go into networks serving Massachusetts citizens.”