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Bill would let multiple customers-of-record change or cancel shared telecom service without another account holder present
Summary
Sen. Shelly Hettleman said the bill would require service contracts to permit more than one named customer to make changes if parties agreed in writing; the sponsor said the change responds to consumer complaints where spouses or caregivers could not access or modify accounts even with power of attorney.
Sen. Shelly Hettleman described a consumer problem that arose when retail carriers required the primary account holder to be physically present to change devices or accounts. Her bill requires telecommunications service contracts to include an option permitting more than one customer of record to alter, modify or cancel the service without the other named account holder being present — provided all customers of record agree in writing to that arrangement.
Hettleman said she and constituents had experienced situations in which a spouse or a caregiver (including a person with power of attorney, or a family member of someone with dementia) could not access or change an account even though they had the account details. She told the committee the measure is optional for carriers to implement but would establish a clear, consumer-friendly contract option statewide. No opposition was recorded in testimony.
Ending: The bill sponsor framed the proposal as a modest consumer-protection fix to prevent commercial policies from blocking legitimate account management by jointly authorized household members or caregivers.
