(1) Any servicemember, as defined in s. 250.01, may terminate his or her telecommunications service contract by providing the telecommunications company with a written notice of termination, effective on the date specified in the notice, which date shall be at least 30 days after receipt of the notice by the telecommunications company, if any of the following criteria are met:

(a) The servicemember is required, pursuant to a permanent change of station orders, to move outside the area served by the telecommunications company or to an area where the type of telecommunications service being provided to the servicemember is not available from the telecommunications company;

(b) The servicemember is discharged or released from active duty or state active duty and will return from such duty to an area not served by the telecommunications company or where the type of telecommunications service contracted for is not available from the telecommunications company;

(c) The servicemember is released from active duty or state active duty after having entered into a contract for telecommunications service while on active duty or state active duty status and the telecommunications company does not provide telecommunications service or the same type of telecommunications service contracted for in the region of the servicemember’s home of record prior to entering active duty or state active duty;

(d) The servicemember receives military orders requiring him or her to move outside the continental United States; or

(e) The servicemember receives temporary duty orders, temporary change of station orders, or active duty or state active duty orders to an area not served by the telecommunications company or where the type of telecommunications service contracted for is not available from the telecommunications company, provided such orders are for a period exceeding 60 days.

(2) The written notice to the telecommunications company must be accompanied by either a copy of the official military orders or a written verification signed by the servicemember’s commanding officer.

(3) Upon termination of a contract under this section, the servicemember is liable for the amount due under the contract prorated to the effective date of the termination payable at such time as would have otherwise been required by the terms of the contract. The servicemember is not liable for any other fees due to the early termination of the contract as provided for in this section.

(4) The provisions of this section may not be waived or modified by the agreement of the parties under any circumstances.

History.—s. 16, ch. 2003-72.