§1166. Telegraphs and telephones; service; power of commission; indecent telephone calls; emergency cutting, rerouting or diverting of telephone lines; solicitation calls, request not to receive; long distance services

A. The commission shall require and compel all persons engaged in doing a telegraph or telephone business to establish telegraph offices or public telephone stations along existing lines, wherever they may be reasonably necessary and convenient, for the purpose of receiving and delivering messages and conversation to be transmitted by telegraph or telephone. The commission shall require and compel all persons engaged in doing a telegraph or telephone business to deliver promptly all messages to be sent or transmitted by them. The commission also shall adopt all reasonable and just rules, regulations and orders affecting or connected with the service and operation of such business.

B. The commission may promulgate such rules as are necessary to authorize all persons engaged in doing a telephone business to cooperate with police in the interception of indecent telephone calls and the apprehension of those persons making them. The commission shall not make any rules or regulations under the provisions of this subsection which conflict with the federal wire tapping laws or with federal regulations made under such laws.

C. When any common carrier, subject to the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, is notified in writing by a federal, state or local law enforcement agency, acting within its jurisdiction, that any facility furnished by it is being used or has been used for the purpose of transmitting or receiving gambling information in violation of federal, state, or local law, and an arrest has been made in connection therewith, it shall discontinue or refuse, the leasing, furnishing, or maintaining of such facility, after reasonable notice to the subscriber, but no damages, penalty or forfeiture, civil or criminal, shall be found against any common carrier for any act done in compliance with any notice received from a law enforcement agency. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prejudice the right of any person affected thereby to secure an appropriate determination, as otherwise provided by law, in a federal court or in a state or local tribunal or agency, that such facility should not be discontinued or removed, or should be restored.

D. Any chief law enforcement officer having jurisdiction in the parish or municipality in which hostages are being held who has probable cause to believe that the holder of one or more hostages is committing a crime shall have the authority to order a previously designated telephone company security employee to arrange to cut, reroute, or divert telephone lines in any emergency in which hostages are being held, for the purpose of preventing telephone communication by the holder of such hostages with any person other than a law enforcement officer or a person authorized by the law enforcement officer.

Each telephone company shall designate a telephone company security employee and an alternate in each parish served by the company to provide all required assistance to law enforcement officers to carry out the purposes of this Subsection.

Good faith reliance on any order issued by a chief law enforcement officer shall constitute a complete defense to any action for damages including those brought against the telephone company, or any of its officers, directors, employees, or agents, as a result of the cutting, rerouting, or diverting of telephone lines.

E. Each local exchange telephone company shall provide to its subscribers at least once a year through an insert included in a billing statement or other means the name and address, which name and address shall be printed in boldface type, to which subscribers may write to request not to receive telephone solicitation calls.

F. Repealed by Acts 1999, No. 1242, §2.

Acts 1962, No. 314, §1; Acts 1970, No. 674, §1; Acts 1979, No. 346, §1; Acts 1990, No. 707, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1005, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1242, §2.