S. 2998: Prepaid Calling Card Consumer Protection Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-08 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 110-1218.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 110-1218. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Prepaid Calling Card Consumer Protection Act of 2008

Plain summary

Prepaid Calling Card Consumer Protection Act of 2008 - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to require every prepaid telephone calling service provider and prepaid telephone calling card distributor to disclose certain information, including: (1) the number of calling units or minutes of domestic interstate calls provided or the dollar value and the domestic interstate rate per minute; (2) the calling unit or per minute rates for all served international preferred destinations; (3) the applicable per minute rates for all served international destinations; (4) all terms and conditions, including regarding fees, policies on refunds, recharges, decrements, and expiration, and time imitations; and (5) a toll-free customer service number and hours. Makes it unlawful to: (1) deduct anything but the per minute rate and disclosed fees; (2) provide fewer minutes or charge a higher per minute rate than promoted or advertised; (3) provide fewer minutes than the number of minutes announced, promoted, or advertised through any voice prompt; (4) have (unless clearly disclosed) an expiration date less than one year after first use (or after additional minutes are purchased); and (5) charge a fee for an unconnected call. Prohibits evading liability by using disclaimers or limitations. Treats violations as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice under specified provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Allows state civil enforcement and state laws offering equal or greater protection to consumers.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Prepaid Calling Card Consumer Protection Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110s2998.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/s>

Record fed-us-cong110-s2998 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110