BILL AS INTRODUCED H.75
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1 H.75
2 Introduced by Representative Sibilia of Dover
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Telecommunications; voice service; preplanned outages; notification
6 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the
7 Enhanced 911 Board to amend its rule governing outage reporting
8 requirements to include an additional requirement that an originating carrier
9 provide advance notification of any preplanned outage of voice service to the
10 Enhanced 911 Board, the Department of Public Service, and to any affected
11 subscriber of such voice service.
12 An act relating to advance notification of preplanned outages of voice
13 services
14 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
15 Sec. 1. ENHANCED 911 BOARD RULE; ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF
16 PREPLANNED OUTAGES
17 (a) The purpose of this section is to protect the public safety of Vermonters
18 by promoting awareness of any preplanned service outage that will prevent a
19 person from being able to access 911 services or from receiving emergency
20 notifications.
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1 (b) The Enhanced 911 Board shall amend its rule governing outage
2 reporting requirements to include an additional requirement that an originating
3 carrier provide advance notification of a preplanned outage of voice service.
4 The notification shall be provided to affected subscribers, the Enhanced 911
5 Board, and the Department of Public Service. In addition, the originating
6 carrier shall ensure that the notification is published in at least one newspaper
7 of general circulation in the affected service territory. Through rulemaking,
8 the Board shall establish all of the following:
9 (1) The timing and contents of the notification.
10 (2) Definitions of “affected subscribers” and “affected service territory”
11 as they apply to wireless (cellular) service providers; providers of facilities-
12 based, fixed voice service that is line powered (plain old telephone service);
13 and providers of facilities-based, fixed voice service that is not line powered
14 (VoIP).
15 (3) Reasonable exceptions to the general notification requirement, as
16 needed. For example, the rule should address circumstances where the outage
17 is preplanned but there is insufficient time to provide the general notification
18 required by this section.
19 (4) Penalties sufficient to encourage carrier compliance with the
20 notification requirement. Any monies raised from penalty assessments should
21 be directed towards activities or programs that mitigate service outages.
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1 (5) Any other standards or requirements consistent with the purpose and
2 requirements of this section.
3 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
4 This act shall take effect on passage.
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