PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 13, 2012
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.
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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.
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.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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