| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE BILL 41 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Haile |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | HOUSE BILL 141 |
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| 6 | 6 | | By Hale |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | HB0141 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 000518 |
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| 11 | 11 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; |
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| 14 | 14 | | Title 47 and Title 65, relative to consumer billing. |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 18 | 18 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) As used in this section: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) "Billing cycle" means the defined period of time between billing |
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| 21 | 21 | | statements or invoices on which a consumer's payment amount for services is |
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| 22 | 22 | | based under an agreement or contract for covered services; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) "Covered services" means telephone, cable television, internet, |
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| 24 | 24 | | broadband services, or any combination of such services; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) "Service provider" means an entity, whether a for-profit, nonprofit, or |
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| 26 | 26 | | government entity, that provides covered services to consumers for a fee. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) On and after July 1, 2025, if a consumer terminates an agreement or contract |
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| 28 | 28 | | for covered services pursuant to the terms of the agreement or contract, then: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) If the date of termination occurs within the first half (1/2) of a billing |
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| 30 | 30 | | cycle, then the service provider may only bill the consumer for the remainder of |
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| 31 | 31 | | that billing cycle and shall not bill the consumer for any subsequent billing cycle; |
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| 32 | 32 | | and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) If the date of termination occurs within the second half (1/2) of a |
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| 34 | 34 | | billing cycle, then the service provider may bill the consumer for the remainder of |
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| 35 | 35 | | that billing cycle and up to one (1) subsequent billing cycle. |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - 000518 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) This section does not prohibit a service provider from including in a service |
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| 41 | 41 | | agreement or contract a term or period of minimum duration. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) A violation of this section constitutes a violation of the Tennessee Consumer |
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| 43 | 43 | | Protection Act of 1977, compiled in this part. A violation of this section constitutes an |
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| 44 | 44 | | unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting trade or commerce and is subject to the |
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| 45 | 45 | | penalties and remedies as provided in this part. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 47-18-104(b), is amended by adding |
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| 47 | 47 | | the following new subdivision: |
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| 48 | 48 | | ( ) A violation of SECTION 1. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
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