Today Representative Kraft introduced (HF3679) changes to existing legislation related to customer compensation for missed repair appointment credits and changes to how municipal telecommunications services can acquire facilities.

Short description:

HF. 3679,A bill for an act relating to telecommunications; adding certain prohibited practices; providing for a missed repair appointments credit; modifying provisions governing municipal and local telecommunications service; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 237.121; 237.19; 429.021, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 237.

Portion related to missed appointments:

Sec. 2.

[237.185] MISSED REPAIR APPOINTMENTS; CREDIT.

Subdivision 1.

Credit required; limitation; exception. 

(a) A local exchange carrier
that schedules a repair appointment with a customer for any service, either to provide the
service directly or by contracting with a third party, must provide an immediate $25 credit
to the customer if a repair technician fails to appear at the scheduled appointment time and
at the location where the repair is required. A customer is not required to request the
immediate credit.

(b) The immediate credit under paragraph (a) applies only if the customer, prior to the
scheduled repair appointment, provides notice to the local exchange carrier that the customer’s
compromised health requires continued access to emergency services. The customer is not
required to provide the local exchange carrier with medical documentation when providing
notice under this paragraph.

(c) The local exchange carrier is not required to provide an immediate credit if the local
exchange carrier (1) notifies the customer that a change in scheduling is necessary, and (2)
provides the notice to the customer at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.

Subd. 2.

Notice. 

(a) A local exchange carrier must notify the local exchange carrier’s
customers (1) of the right to an immediate credit for a missed repair appointment, and (2)
that a health notice from the customer must be on file in order for the customer to obtain
the immediate credit.

(b) The notice must be given to a new customer within 45 days of the date that service
to the customer is commenced and at least annually thereafter. The notice must be provided
in a writing labeled “NOTICE OF RIGHT TO IMMEDIATE CREDIT FOR MISSED
REPAIR APPOINTMENTS FOR CERTAIN HEALTH COMPROMISED CUSTOMERS.”
The notification must be printed in a sufficient size so that it is clearly legible.

And portion related to municipal telecom services, which is mostly a deletion…

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 237.19, is amended to read:

237.19 MUNICIPAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.

Any municipality shall have the right to own and operate a telephone exchange within
its own borders, subject to the provisions of this chapter. It may construct such plant, or
purchase an existing plant by agreement with the owner, or where it cannot agree with the
owner on price, it may acquire an existing plant by condemnation, as hereinafter provided,
but in no case shall a municipality construct or purchase such a plant or proceed to acquire
an existing plant by condemnation until such action by it is authorized by a majority of the
electors voting upon the proposition at a general election or a special election called for that
purpose, and if the proposal is to construct a new exchange where an exchange already
exists, it shall not be authorized to do so unless 65 percent of those voting thereon vote in
favor of the undertaking. A municipality that owns and operates a telephone exchange may
enter into a joint venture as a partner or shareholder with a telecommunications organization
to provide telecommunications services within its service area.