BILL SEEKS DISCLOSURE BY PHONE COMPANIES.(BUSINESS)

Byline: JEANNINE AVERSA Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- AT&T, MCI, Sprint and other phone companies that call attention on customers' bills to new federally imposed fees would be required by proposed legislation to disclose federal actions that push rates down as well.

Many telephone companies began in January to include line items on bills on the costs of federally imposed fees. The fees, imposed on long-distance companies, go to local phone companies for connecting calls and they help make phone service affordable to all. Long-distance companies typically pass on the fees to their customers.

To prevent phone bills from rising, companies were …