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S. 3291: Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012

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S. 3291: Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-06-13 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2012-06-13 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012

Plain summary

Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit local exchange carriers or providers of interconnected VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service from placing a third-party charge that is not directly related to the provision of telephone services on the bill of a customer, unless the third-party charge is: (1) from a certified third-party vendor, (2) for a product or service that the carrier or provider markets or sells jointly with its own service, and (3) consented to and believed to be requested by the customer. Defines a "third-party charge" as a charge for a product or service not provided by a local exchange carrier or a provider of interconnected VoIP service that is included on a bill for the services the local exchange carrier or provider of interconnected VoIP service offers to its customers. Subjects violators to civil forfeiture and specified penalties. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate rules to: (1) ensure that a provider of wireless services gives each customer the means to avoid receiving third-party charges on the wireless customer's wireless bill and discloses such an option clearly and conspicuously, (2) establish procedures for such a provider to ensure that third-party charges have been authorized by the wireless customer; and (3) enable a wireless customer to seek and receive reimbursement from the provider for any unauthorized third-party charges.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · 1 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 (3)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
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

Record fed-us-cong112-s3291 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112