Draft


 WAC     480-120-106  Form of bills.  
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, bills to subscribers 
shall be rendered regularly and shall clearly list all charges.  Each bill 
shall indicate the date it becomes delinquent and notice of means by which a 
subscriber can contact the nearest business office of the utility.
 The portion of a bill rendered by the local exchange company on behalf of 
itself and other companies shall clearly specify the alternate operator service 
company's operator service provider’s billing agent, and, where feasible, 
within ninety days after the effective date of this rule, the provider of the 
alternate operator services, and a toll free telephone number the consumer can 
call to question that portion of the bill and, if appropriate, receive credit.  
A number may be used on this portion of the bill only if it connects the 
subscriber with a firm which has full authority to investigate and, if 
appropriate, to adjust disputed calls including a means to verify that the 
rates charged are correct. Consumers requesting an address or toll free 
telephone number of the operator service provider where they can write to 
question that portion of the bill shall be provided that information.
 A local exchange company shall not provide billing and collection services for 
telecommunications service to any company not properly registered to provide 
service within the state of Washington, except to a billing agent that 
certifies to the local exchange carrier that it will submit charges only on 
behalf of properly registered companies.  As a part of this certification the 
local exchange company shall require that the billing agent provide to it a 
current list of each telecommunications company for which it bills showing the 
name (as registered with the commission) and address.  This list shall be 
updated and provided to the local exchange company as changes occur.  The local 
exchange company shall in turn, upon receiving it, provide a copy of this list 
to the commission for its review whenever a carrier is added or deleted upon 
request.
 All bills for telephone service shall identify and set out separately any 
access or other charges imposed by order of or at the direction of the Federal 
Communications Commission.  In addition, all bills for telephone service within 
jurisdictions where taxes are applicable will clearly delineate the amount, or 
the percentage rate at which said tax is computed, which represents municipal 
occupation, business and excise taxes that have been levied by a municipality 
against said utility, the effect of which is passed on as a part of the charge 
for telephone service.
 Subscribers requesting by telephone, letter or office visit an itemized 
statement of all charges shall be furnished same.  An itemized statement is 
meant to include separately, the total for exchange service, mileage charges, 
taxes, credits, miscellaneous or special services and toll charges, the latter 
showing at least date, place called and charge for each call.  In itemizing the 
charges of information providers, the utility shall furnish the name, address, 
telephone number and toll free number, if any, of such providers.  Any 
additional itemization shall be at a filed tariff charge.
 Upon a showing of good cause, a subscriber may request to be allowed to pay by 
a certain date which is not the normally designated payment date.  Good cause 
shall include, but not be limited to, adjustment of the payment schedule to 
parallel receipt of income.  A utility may be exempted from this adjustment 
requirement by the commission.
 (2) Any telecommunication company’s prepaid calling card services are exempt 
from subsection (1) of this section.  Any telecommunications company for which 
an exemption is provided under this section shall provide call detail reports 
for prepaid calling card services free to customers upon request.

[Statutory Authority:  RCW 80.01.040 and chapter 80.36 RCW.  91-13-078 (Order 
R-345, Docket No. UT-900726), § 480-120-106, filed 6/18/91, effective 7/19/91.  
Statutory Authority:  RCW 80.01.040 and 1988 c 91.  89-04-044 (Order R-293, 
Docket No. U-88-1882-R), § 480-120-106, filed 1/31/89.  Statutory Authority:  
RCW 80.01.040.  85-18-011 (Order R-233, Cause No. U-85-35), § 480-120-106, 
filed 8/23/85; 85-16-116 (Order R-234, Cause No. U-85-21), § 480-120-106, filed 
8/7/85; Order R-86, § 480-120-106, filed 6/30/76; Order R-25, § 480-120-106, 
filed 5/5/71. Formerly WAC 480-120-210.]
WAC (  7/13/97  13:31) [ 1 ]
WAC (  7/13/97  13:31) [ 1 ]