Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 86 amends the Utilities Code to establish telecommunications and electric services customer protection standards to safeguard against fraudulent, unfair, misleading, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices. The act authorizes the Public Utility Commission to adopt and enforce rules as needed to ensure consumer protection and establish minimum service standards. The act requires the commission to promote public awareness of customer rights and options and to adopt rules relating to the certification, registration, and reporting requirements for telecommunications and electric services providers.

            Senate Bill 86 establishes a utility customer's bill of rights that includes protection from both the unauthorized switching of a selected service provider (slamming) and the imposition of unauthorized charges (cramming). The act also sets forth protections for customers of municipally owned utilities and requirements for a billing utility and streamlines administrative penalties.