(220 ILCS 5/13-404.1)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2026)

Sec. 13-404.1. Prepaid calling service authority; rules.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is necessary to require the certification of prepaid calling service providers to protect and promote against fraud the legitimate business interests of persons or entities currently providing prepaid calling service to Illinois end users and Illinois end users who purchase these services.

(b) On and after July 1, 2005, it shall be unlawful for any prepaid calling service provider to offer or provide or seek to offer or provide to any distributor, prepaid calling service reseller, prepaid calling service retailer, or end user any prepaid calling service unless the prepaid calling service provider has applied for and received a Certificate of Prepaid Calling Service Provider Authority from the Commission. The Commission shall approve an application for a Certificate of Prepaid Calling Service Provider Authority upon a showing by the applicant, and a finding by the Commission, after notice and hearing, that the applicant possesses sufficient technical, financial, and managerial resources and abilities to provide prepaid calling services. The Commission shall approve an application for a Certificate of Prepaid Calling Service Provider Authority without a hearing upon a showing by the applicant that the Commission has issued an appropriate Certificate of Service Authority (whether a Certificate of Interexchange Service Authority or Certificate of Exchange Service Authority or both) to the applicant or the telecommunications carrier whose service the applicant is seeking to resell, provided that the telecommunications carrier remains in good standing with the Commission. The Commission may adopt rules necessary for the administration of this subsection.

(c) Upon issuance of a Certificate of Prepaid Calling Service Provider Authority to a prepaid calling service provider, the Commission shall post a list that contains the full legal name of the prepaid service provider, the docket number of the provider's certification proceeding, and the toll-free customer service number of the certified prepaid calling service provider on the Commission's web site on a link solely dedicated to prepaid calling service providers. If the certified prepaid calling service provider changes its toll-free customer service number, it is the duty of the certified prepaid calling service provider to provide the Commission with notice of the change and with the provider's new toll-free customer service number at least 24 hours prior to changing its toll-free customer service number. The Commission may adopt rules that further define the administration of this subsection.

(d) Any and all enforcement authority granted to the Commission under this Article over any Certificate of Service Authority shall apply equally and without limitation to Certificates of Prepaid Calling Service Provider Authority.

(Source: P.A. 100-20, eff. 7-1-17.)