Bill > HB0141

This bill amends Tennessee consumer protection law to regulate billing practices for telecommunications and media services. Specifically, the bill defines "billing cycle," "covered services," and "service provider," and establishes new rules for how service providers can bill consumers who terminate their services mid-cycle. Under the new law, if a consumer cancels services during the first half of a billing cycle, the provider can only bill for the remainder of that cycle and cannot charge for subsequent cycles. If a consumer cancels during the second half of a billing cycle, the provider can bill for the remainder of that cycle and one additional cycle. The bill explicitly does not prevent service providers from including minimum service duration terms in their contracts. Importantly, any violation of this new provision will be considered an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977, which means consumers can seek penalties and remedies if a service provider does not comply. The law will take effect on July 1, 2025, giving service providers time to adjust their billing practices to comply with the new requirements.