PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4408-4409)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 12, 2013
Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2013 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit local exchange carriers or providers of interconnected VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service from placing, or causing to be placed, a third-party charge that is not directly related to the provision of telephone services on the bill of a customer, unless: (1) the third-party charge is from a contracted third-party vendor and for a product or service that the carrier or provider markets or sells jointly with its own service, (2) the customer provided affirmative consent for the charge, (3) the customer was provided with a disclosure of material terms and conditions prior to such consent, and (4) the charge is implemented with reasonable procedures to ensure that the customer has requested the product or service.
Defines: (1) 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, and (2) a "contracted third-party vendor" as a person with a contractual right to receive billing and collection services from such a carrier or provider for a product or service the person provides directly to a customer.
Subjects violators to civil forfeiture and specified penalties and refund requirements.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate rules to: (1) define how local exchange carriers and providers of interconnected VoIP service will obtain affirmative consent from a consumer for a third-party charge, (2) ensure that consumers are fully aware of the charges to which they are consenting, and (3) impose recordkeeping requirements on such carriers and providers related to any grants of affirmative consent by consumers.
People & committees
Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · D–WV
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4408-4409)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4407-4408)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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