HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1253        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 250

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Elizabeth A. Poirier

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act prohibiting intentional misrepresentation by a business of its location.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

1/15/2015

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

1/26/2015

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

1/26/2015

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

1/26/2015

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

2/4/2015

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

2/4/2015

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

1/29/2015

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

2/4/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1253        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 250

By Mrs. Poirier of North Attleborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 250) of Elizabeth A. Poirier and others for legislation to prohibit businesses from misrepresenting the geographic location of such businesses in local telephone directories.  Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act prohibiting intentional misrepresentation by a business of its location.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.   Chapter 93 of the 2012 General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:—Section 115. (a) It is hereby declared to be an unfair and deceptive act or practice in violation of chapter 93A for any provider or vendor of a product or service to misrepresent the geographic location of its business by doing either of the following:(1) listing a local telephone number in a local telephone directory listing or advertisement if each of the following is satisfied:(i) calls to the telephone number are routinely forwarded or otherwise transferred to a provider’s or vendor’s business location that is outside the calling area covered by the local telephone directory.(ii) the listing does not identify the true physical address, including the city and state, of the provider’s or vendor’s business.(2) listing a fictitious business name or an assumed business name in a local telephone directory listing or advertisement if each of the following is satisfied:(i) the name misrepresents the provider’s or vendor’s geographic location.(ii) the listing does not identify the true physical address, including the city and state, of the provider’s or vendors business.(b) for purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following meanings:“Local telephone directory”, a telephone classified advertising directory or the business section of a telephone directory that is distributed free of charge to some or all telephone subscribers in a local area directory.“Local telephone number”, a telephone number that has a three-number prefix used by a telephone service company for telephones physically located within the area covered by the local telephone directory in which the number is listed. The term shall not include long distance numbers or 800- or 900- exchange numbers listed in a local telephone directory.