Montana Code 69-3-1311. Registration requirements — prohibitions — revocation
69-3-1311. Registration requirements — prohibitions — revocation. (1) A service provider may not offer a product or service to a customer, the charge for which appears on the bill of a billing agent, unless the service provider is properly registered with the commission.
Terms Used In Montana Code 69-3-1311
- Billing agent: means a telecommunications carrier that includes in a bill that it sends to a customer a charge for a product or service offered by a service provider. See Montana Code 69-3-1302
- Billing aggregator: means any entity, other than a service provider, that forwards the charge for a product or service offered by a service provider to a billing agent. See Montana Code 69-3-1302
- commission: means the public service commission provided for in 2-15-2602. See Montana Code 69-1-101
- Customer: means a person who has purchased telecommunications services from a telecommunications carrier or who has been billed charges on a telephone bill for the services or products of another entity. See Montana Code 69-3-1302
- Service provider: means any entity, other than the billing agent, that offers a product or service to a customer, the charge for which appears on the bill of a billing agent. See Montana Code 69-3-1302
(2)A billing aggregator may not forward to a billing agent charges for a service or product offered by a service provider unless the billing aggregator is properly registered with the commission.
(3)A billing aggregator may not forward charges to a billing agent from a service provider who is required to be registered under this section and who is not properly registered under this section.
(4)A billing agent may not directly bill on behalf of a service provider that is not the billing agent if the service provider is not properly registered, if registration is required under this section.
(5)The commission shall provide a form for registration and establish the procedure for registering with the commission. A registration remains effective until revoked by the commission or surrendered by the service provider or billing aggregator.
(6)After notice and an opportunity for a hearing, the commission may revoke a registration.
(7)The commission may revoke the registration of a service provider that has:
(a)knowingly or repeatedly billed one or more customers for unauthorized service; or
(b)engaged in any other false or deceptive billing practices.
(8)The commission may revoke the registration of a billing aggregator that has:
(a)knowingly or repeatedly forwarded the charge for a service or product to a billing agent on behalf of a service provider that was required to be registered with the commission and that was not properly registered; or
(b)engaged in any other false or deceptive billing practices.
(9)Immediately following a revocation of registration under this section, the commission shall provide notice of the revocation to all telecommunications carriers and registered billing aggregators doing business in Montana.