4931.30 [Repealed Effective 9/13/2010] Party lines to be yielded in emergencies. - Ohio Statutes

4931.30 [Repealed Effective 9/13/2010] Party lines to be yielded in emergencies.

No person shall willfully refuse immediately to yield or relinquish the use of a party line to another person for the purpose of permitting such other person to report a fire or summon law enforcement agencies, ambulance service, medical, or other aid in case of emergency. No person shall ask for or request the use of a party line on the pretext that an emergency exists, knowing that no emergency exists. Every telephone directory distributed after June 30, 1955 to the members of the general public in this state or in any portion thereof which lists the calling numbers of telephones of any telephone exchange located in this state shall contain a notice which explains the offenses provided for in this section, such notice to be printed in type which is not smaller than any other type on the same page and to be preceded by the word “warning” printed in type with at least equal prominence as other regulations or information on the same page; provided, that the provisions of this section do not apply to those directories distributed solely for business advertising purposes, commonly known as classified directories, nor to any telephone directory distributed or for which copy has been sent to the printer or is in the process of printing or distribution to the general public prior to June 30, 1955. Any person, firm, or corporation providing telephone service which distributes or causes to be distributed in this state one or more copies of a telephone directory which is subject to the provisions of this section and which willfully omits such notice is guilty of a violation of this section. As used in this section:

(A) “Party line” means a subscribers’ line telephone circuit, to which two or more main telephone stations are connected, each station having a distinctive ring or telephone number.

(B) “Emergency” means a situation in which property or human life is in jeopardy and in which prompt summoning of aid is essential.

Repealed by 128th General Assembly File No. 43, SB 162, § 2, eff. 9/13/2010.

Effective Date: 01-10-1961