Sec. 16-247q. Education outreach program for telecommunications competition, scope. Consumer Education Advisory Council established.
Sec. 16-247q. Education outreach program for telecommunications competition, scope. Consumer Education Advisory Council established. (a) Not later than
January 1, 2001, the Department of Public Utility Control shall, in conjunction with the
Office of Consumer Counsel, implement a comprehensive public education outreach
program to educate customers about the implementation of competition among certified
telecommunications providers, as defined in section 16-1, providing intrastate telecommunications services. The goals of the program shall be to maximize public information,
minimize customer confusion and enable all customers to participate in a competitive
environment. The program shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Dissemination of
information through mass media, interactive approaches and written materials with the
goal of reaching every telephone customer; (2) conduct of public forums in different
geographical areas of the state to foster public input and provide opportunities for an
exchange of questions and answers; (3) involvement of community-based organizations
in developing messages and in devising and implementing education strategies; (4)
targeted efforts to reach rural, low income, elderly, foreign language, disabled, ethnic
minority and other traditionally underserved populations; and (5) periodic evaluations
of the effectiveness of educational efforts. The department shall assign one individual
within the department to coordinate the outreach program and oversee the education
process. Reasonable costs incurred by the department to develop and implement the
education outreach program shall be recovered from certified telecommunications providers and telephone companies other than telephone companies serving fewer than
seventy-five thousand customers in the manner provided in section 16-49.
(b) There shall be established a Consumer Education Advisory Council which shall
advise the department on the development and implementation of the outreach program.
Membership of the advisory council shall be established by the Office of Consumer
Counsel not later than September 1, 2000, and shall include, but not be limited to,
representatives of the Department of Public Utility Control, the Office of Consumer
Counsel, the office of the Attorney General, the Office of Policy and Management,
community and business organizations, consumer groups, including, but not limited
to, a group that represents hardship cases, as defined in section 16-262c, telephone
companies and certified telecommunications providers. The advisory council shall determine the information to be distributed to customers as part of the education effort.
The advisory council shall advise the outreach program coordinator on the methods of
distributing information in accordance with subsection (a) of this section and the timing
of such distribution. The advisory council shall meet on a regular basis and report to
the outreach program coordinator as it deems appropriate.
(P.A. 99-222, S. 8, 19; P.A. 00-53, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 99-222 effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 00-53 amended Subsec. (a) by changing "2000" to "2001".