By Armbrister S.B. No. 169 76R2541 CLG-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the listing of a business location in a telephone 1-3 directory or database. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce 1-6 Code, is amended by adding Section 17.462 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 17.462. LISTING OF BUSINESS LOCATION IN DIRECTORY OR 1-8 DATABASE. (a) A person may not misrepresent the geographical 1-9 location of a business in the listing of the business in a 1-10 telephone directory or other directory assistance database. 1-11 (b) A person is considered to misrepresent the geographical 1-12 location of a business for purposes of Subsection (a) if the name 1-13 of the business indicates that the business is located in a 1-14 geographical area and: 1-15 (1) the business is not located within the 1-16 geographical area indicated; 1-17 (2) the listing fails to identify the municipality and 1-18 state of the business's geographical location; and 1-19 (3) a telephone call to the local telephone number 1-20 listed in the directory or database routinely is forwarded or 1-21 transferred to a location that is outside the calling area covered 1-22 by the directory or database in which the number is listed. 1-23 (c) A person may place a directory listing for a business 1-24 the name of which indicates that it is located in a geographical 2-1 area that is different from the geographical area in which the 2-2 business is located if a conspicuous notice in the listing states 2-3 the municipality and state in which the business is located. 2-4 (d) This section does not apply to a publisher of a 2-5 telephone directory or provider of a directory assistance service 2-6 publishing or providing information about another business. 2-7 (e) A violation of this section is a false, misleading, or 2-8 deceptive act or practice under this subchapter, and any public or 2-9 private right or remedy prescribed by this subchapter may be used 2-10 to enforce this section. 2-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and 2-12 applies only to a telephone directory published or directory 2-13 assistance provided on or after that date. A telephone directory 2-14 published or directory assistance provided before September 1, 2-15 1999, is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the 2-16 effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for 2-17 that purpose. 2-18 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.