An Act to Preserve the 207 Area Code and Impede So-called Robocalling
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0396
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: ZEIGLER
Amends: 35-A MRSA §7104, 35-A MRSA §7104-B, 35-A MRSA §7110

Legislative Document
No. 396
H.P. 247
House of Representatives, February 2, 2023
An Act to Preserve the 207 Area Code and Impede So-called 
Robocalling
Submitted by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ZEIGLER of Montville.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §7104, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2017, c. 422, §§2 to 4 and 
affected by §12, is further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
For purposes of this section, "voice network service provider" means a voice service 
provider that offers its subscribers the means to initiate or receive voice communications 
using the public switched telephone network and includes a communications entity as 
defined in section 7110, subsection 1, paragraph A required to register with the commission 
pursuant to section 7110, subsection 2.  Rules adopted under this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §7104-B, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 244, §1, is 
further amended to read:
2.  Authority.  Pursuant to the authority granted in section 7104 and in order to carry 
out the policy goals established by section 7101, subsections 1, 2 and 4, the commission 
shall establish a telecommunications education access fund, referred to in this section as 
the "fund," and require all voice network service providers providing service in the State, 
including a communications entity as defined in section 7110, subsection 1, paragraph A 
required to register with the commission pursuant to section 7110, subsection 2, to 
contribute to the fund.  The fund must be available, with any accumulated interest, to 
qualified libraries, qualified schools and the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University 
of Maine to assist in paying the costs of acquiring and using advanced telecommunications 
technologies.
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §7110 is enacted to read:
§7110.  Registration requirements of voice service providers
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Communications entity" means an interconnected voice over Internet protocol 
service provider, local exchange carrier, voice service provider, wholesale competitive 
local exchange carrier or any other entity that obtains numbering resources from a 
North American organization responsible for neutrally administering numbering 
resources in a Maine numbering plan area.
B. "Numbering plan area" has the same meaning as in 47 Code of Federal Regulations, 
Section 52.7(a) in effect on December 16, 2022.
C. "Numbering resources" means the telephone numbers available to authorized 
brokers in a numbering plan area that are usually distributed in blocks of either 1,000 
or 10,000. 
2. Registration. A communications entity that brokers numbering resources in the 
State shall register with the commission in a manner prescribed by the commission. The 
information contained in the registration must include, but is not limited to:
A. Contact information for at least one person responsible for regulatory matters; 
B. Whether the communications entity is an authorized broker of numbering resources; 
and
C. Any other information the commission determines is necessary.
Annually, by July 1st, and when there is any change in its regulatory contact information, 
a communications entity shall update its registration information. 
3. Information requests. A communications entity registering under subsection 2 as 
an authorized broker of numbering resources shall, upon request, provide the commission 
with detailed information relating to the distribution of numbering resources in the State. 
4. Authority. The commission may exercise any authority provided to the states by 47 
Code of Federal Regulations, Part 52 in effect on December 16, 2022 in order to maximize 
numbering resources. 
5. Rules. The commission may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules may 
include additional requirements for communications entities in order for the commission 
to manage the distribution of numbering resources in the State. Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A. 
6. Enforcement. Failure of a communications entity to comply with this section or any 
applicable commission rule is subject to administrative penalties under section 1508-A.
SUMMARY
This bill creates a registration process for a communications entity that brokers 
numbering resources in the State. It defines "communications entity" to include all 
interconnected voice over Internet protocol service providers, local exchange carriers, 
voice service providers, wholesale competitive local exchange carriers or any other entity 
that obtains numbering resources from a North American organization responsible for 
neutrally administering numbering resources in a Maine numbering plan area. It allows the 
Public Utilities Commission to adopt routine technical rules relating to the registration 
process and allows the commission to include in its rules additional requirements for 
communications entities in order for the commission to manage the distribution of 
numbering resources in the State. It authorizes the commission to exercise any authority 
provided to the states by 47 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 52 in order to maximize 
numbering resources.
This bill also allows the commission to require a communications entity to pay into the 
State's universal service fund and telecommunications education access fund.