Bill Text: NJ A2062 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits charges for busy or unanswered cellular telephone calls.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-17 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee [A2062 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2062-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman PETER J. BARNES, III
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits charges for busy or unanswered cellular telephone calls.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning cellular telephone services and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. It shall be an unlawful practice for a telecommunications company to apply a telecommunications charge or a usage allocation deduction to a resident of this State for any busy signal or unanswered cellular telephone call.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would make it an unlawful practice for telecommunications companies to charge, or deduct usage allocations from, New Jersey residents for any busy signal or unanswered cellular telephone call.
An unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud Act is punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, a violation can result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured.
