By Wentworth S.B. No. 1149 75R7720 CBH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a prohibition on telecommunications utilities 1-3 discriminating in the placement of advertisements in telephone 1-4 directories. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title III, Public Utility Regulatory 1-7 Act of 1995 (Article 1446c-0, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is 1-8 amended by adding Section 3.312 to read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 3.312. PREFERENCE OR PREJUDICE RELATING TO ADVERTISING 1-10 IN TELEPHONE DIRECTORY. (a) A telecommunications utility or an 1-11 affiliate of the utility that publishes a residential or business 1-12 telephone directory that is distributed to the public and that 1-13 contains paid advertisements for other persons may not make or 1-14 grant a preference or advantage to a person relating to the 1-15 placement of an advertisement or to the order in which an 1-16 advertisement appears. 1-17 (b) The commission may adopt rules to implement and enforce 1-18 this section. 1-19 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 1-20 applies to a telephone directory published on or after that date. 1-21 A telephone directory published before that date is governed by the 1-22 law in effect when the telephone directory was published, and that 1-23 law is continued in effect for that purpose. 1-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.