07 LC 36
0801S
The
House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications offers the following
substitute to HR 205:
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the House Study Committee on Cellular Phone Contract, Billing, and Rebate
Practices; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
more than 200 million Americans use cellular phones; and
WHEREAS,
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data reveals that customers filed 25,942
complaints about wireless telecommunications in 2005, and more than half of
these complaints were billing and rate related; and
WHEREAS,
data from the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) shows that customers
filed 31,671 complaints about cell phone companies in 2005, indicating that the
cell phone service and supplies business was the most complained about business
in the United States; and
WHEREAS,
it is a common practice in the cell phone industry to lock consumers into
long-term contracts, which may account for some of the complaints;
and
WHEREAS,
a study should be conducted to investigate the contract, billing, and rebate
practices of the cellular phone industry in Georgia, how it affects the citizens
of this state, and other related issues.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Study Committee on Cellular Phone Contract, Billing, and Rebate
Practices to be composed of five members of the House of Representatives
presently serving on the House Committee on Energy, Utilities and
Telecommunications. One member shall be the present chairperson of the House
Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications or a designee thereof.
The other members of the committee shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee. The
chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
shall recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary
or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at
such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully
and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives
and purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the
allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received
by any member of the committee for more than three days unless additional days
are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of
Representatives. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and
recommendations with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report
shall be made on or before December 31, 2007. The committee shall stand
abolished on December 31, 2007.