HBA-EDN H.B. 1561 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1561 By: Chavez State Affairs 2/23/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is currently a prevalence of prepaid calling card companies (company) stemming from the growing number of consumers using calling cards. Many of these consumers may be unaware of what recourse is available to them if they want to register a complaint relating to a company or its practices with the Public Utility Commission (commission). House Bill 1561 requires companies to print the commission's toll-free customer hotline number on the calling card and prohibits a company that is not registered with the commission from operating in this state. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Public Utility Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 55.253, Utilities Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 1561 amends the Utilities Code to prohibit a person from operating as a prepaid calling card company (company) in this state unless the company is registered with the Public Utility Commission (commission). The bill provides that the commission, by rule, shall require a company to print on each prepaid calling card the commission's toll-free customer hotline. The bill provides that the commission is granted all necessary jurisdiction to adopt rules to require registration and to enforce that registration. Failure to register is subject to enforcement and may result in an assessment of administrative penalties. H.B. 1561 requires a company to register with the commission not later than January 1, 2002. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.