S-4460               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6676

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Smith, Zimmerman, West and McCaslin

Read first time 2/1/88 and referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

AN ACT Relating to information delivery telephone services; adding a new section to chapter 80.36 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that throughout the state there is widespread use of information delivery services, which are also known as information-access telephone services and commonly referred to as "976" numbers.  These services are expanding to prefixes other than "976" and operate on a charge-per-call basis, providing revenue for both the service provider and the telecommunications companies.  The marketing practices for these toll telephone services have at times been misleading to consumers and at other times specifically directed toward minors.  The result has been placement of calls by individuals, particularly by children, who are uninformed about the charges that might apply.  The legislature also finds that these services can be blocked by certain telecommunications companies at switching locations, and that devices exist which allow for blocking within a residence.  Therefore, the legislature finds that residential telephone users in the state are entitled to the option of having their phones blocked from gaining access to information delivery services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 80.36 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) As used in this section:

          (a) "Information delivery services" means telephone recorded messages, interactive programs, or other information services which are provided for a charge to a caller.  These services are usually provided through an exclusive prefix number such as "976".

          (b) "Information providers" means the persons or corporations that provide the information, prerecorded message, or interactive program to the telecommunications company for the information delivery service.  The information provider generally receives a portion of the revenue from the calls.

          (c) "Interactive program" means a program which allows an information delivery service caller, once connected to the information provider's announcement machine, to use the caller's telephone device to access more specific information.

          (2) The utilities and transportation commission shall by rule require any telecommunications company which offers information delivery services within a local telephone exchange to provide each residential telephone subscriber the opportunity to have the subscriber's telephone blocked or deleted from access to all information delivery services within the local exchange.  The rule shall take effect on or before October 1, 1988.

          (3) At the option of the telecommunications company, the costs of complying with the rule shall be borne by the information providers.

          (4) The telecommunications company shall inform subscribers of the availability of the blocking service through a bill insert and by publication in a local telephone directory.