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fcclogo PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News media information 202 / 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov



DA 00-558
Released: March 22, 2000



FCC AND NARUC TO HOST CONSUMER FRIENDLY BILLING WORKSHOP ON MARCH 29, 2000

The Federal Communications Commission's Consumer Information Bureau (CIB) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' (NARUC) Committee on Consumer Affairs are pleased to announce that they will jointly host a workshop to promote consumer friendly billing practices on Wednesday, March 29, 2000, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The workshop will take place in the Commission Meeting Room, TW-C305, at 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC.

The workshop will provide a forum for industry members, state regulatory agencies and consumer groups to share information and discuss ways to develop bills that are easy to understand in response to the well-documented need on the part of consumers. In prior orders, the FCC encouraged NARUC's member commissions to develop model state truth-in-billing rules. NARUC's Committee on Consumer Affairs has set up a working group to develop model state rules for discussion at NARUC's July 2000 summer meetings in Los Angeles. NARUC believes this workshop will provide useful background information that will help facilitate that project.

The Consumer Information Bureau, in co-hosting this workshop, will present information received from consumers through its national consumer centers. Representatives from national consumer groups such as AARP, National Consumers League, National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, and Call for Action will discuss the consumers' perspectives.

Service providers will be encouraged to outline their plans for changes in billing, the problems and issues they are confronting, and how consumer groups can assist them in addressing the issues that are before them.

Anyone wishing to attend this workshop should contact Roger Goldblatt, Director, Consumer Education Office (202) 418-1035, rgoldbla@fcc.gov. For additional information or to request reasonable accommodations, please contact Nancy Plon (202) 418-2899; nplon@fcc.gov.

- FCC -