Ch. 685                                    1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 685
(House Bill 565)

AN ACT concerning

Public Service Commission - Telephone Companies - Directory Assistance Calls

FOR the purpose of reducing the number of calls to directory assistance made by
residential customers upon which the Public Service Commission is prohibited from
levying charges; authorizing the Public Service Commission to allow telephone
companies to levy charges for certain directory assistance calls; setting certain
standards relating to those charges; repealing certain rate adjustments for
telephone companies; and generally relating to charges levied by telephone
companies.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law
Section 68

Annotated Code of Maryland
(1995 Replacement Volume)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

68.

(a)     The Commission shall have the power to determine just and reasonable rates
of public service companies, whether as maximum, minimum or maximum and minimum,
respectively. The rates so determined shall be fixed by order to be served upon each
public service company affected thereby. This subsection does not apply to small rural
electric cooperatives.

(b)     (1) The Commission may [not] authorize telephone company charges to be
levied for directory assistance calls [made by residential customers upon the first 6 2 calls
made to directory assistance from each residential service per monthly billing cycle]. THE
COMMISSION MAY AUTHORIZE CHARGES ON OTHER DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE
CALLS IF THE COMMISSION FINDS, AFTER NOTICE AND EVIDENTIARY HEARING,
THAT SUCH CHARGES PROTECT CONSUMERS BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE AND
REASONABLY PRICED DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICE, ENCOURAGE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETITION, AND ARE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

(2) [In order to determine just and reasonable rates for residential
telephone service, the Commission shall adjust the residential telephone rates of a
telephone company that it considers appropriate to provide the same net operating
income that the telephone company would realize if no charges were levied on the first 12
calls made to directory assistance under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

- 3860 -