House Bill No. 45 proposes significant changes to telecommunications regulation in Montana by eliminating the public service commission's authority to regulate rates and repealing the Montana State Universal Fund. The bill also seeks to repeal the Performance Assurance Plan State Account and associated statutory appropriations. A notable insertion in the bill is the exemption of Internet Protocol-enabled services from these regulations, which is intended to foster greater flexibility in the telecommunications market. Additionally, the bill amends various sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to clarify definitions related to telecommunications services and practices, while repealing numerous sections that pertain to the regulation of telecommunications companies.

The amendments include clarifications of terms such as "customer," "retail telecommunications," and "sales price," as well as modifications to the process for changes in telecommunications schedules, allowing rates to become effective after a nine-month period unless waived by the utility. The bill also establishes a two-year timeframe for filing overbilling claims and updates definitions related to overbilling and regulated telecommunications companies. Overall, the legislation aims to streamline telecommunications regulation by reducing oversight and regulatory requirements, while still maintaining essential consumer protection laws.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(1): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(2): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(3): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(4): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(5): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(6): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(7): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(8): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1(9): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_1: 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(1): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(10): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(11): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(2): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(3): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(4): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(5): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(6): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(7): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(8): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2(9): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_2: 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(1): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(10): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(2): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(3): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(4): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(5): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(6): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(7): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(8): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X(9): 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805
HB0045_X: 15-53-129, 17-7-502, 69-3-225, 69-3-302, 69-3-305, 69-3-803, 69-3-805