Relates to providing residents of municipal public housing in the state with free basic cable and high-speed internet service, and reimbursing internet service providers and cable television companies for providing such service.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4556
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM, FORREST, SHIMSKY -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to providing free
high-speed internet and cable service to residents of municipal hous-
ing authorities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section
2 231 to read as follows:
3 § 231. Empire connect. 1. For the purposes of this section, the term
4 "high-speed internet service" shall mean internet service of at least
5 100 mbps download and at least 10 mbps upload.
6 2. Each internet service provider and cable television company that
7 provides service to customers within a municipality shall provide basic
8 high-speed internet service and cable service to each residential dwell-
9 ing or unit in a multiple dwelling, as defined by section three of the
10 public housing law, that is owned or managed by a municipal public hous-
11 ing authority, as defined by section three of the public housing law.
12 The fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers of
13 internet service providers or cable television companies and shall not
14 be added to bills rendered by an internet service provider or cable
15 television company to such customers.
16 3. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate
17 the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to the
18 following:
19 (a) rules and regulations to apportion the responsibility of each
20 internet service provider and cable television company in the event that
21 a municipality has authorized more than one internet service provider or
22 cable television company to operate within the geographic area of such
23 municipality; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05743-01-5
A. 4556 2
1 (b) rules and regulations to ensure such compliance by such internet
2 service providers and cable television companies with the provisions of
3 this section.
4 4. No internet service provider or cable television company shall
5 assign or transfer liability for its obligations under this section to
6 any other person, business, entity, or organization, or contract for any
7 other person, business, entity, or organization to perform such internet
8 service provider's or cable television company's duties under this
9 section without the prior written consent of the commission.
10 5. (a) The commission shall establish and manage a cable and high-
11 speed internet service abatement fund to provide reimbursement to inter-
12 net service providers and cable television companies for cable and high-
13 speed internet service provided pursuant to subdivision two of this
14 section.
15 (b) The commission shall appropriate money as necessary to the fund to
16 reimburse all internet service providers and cable television companies
17 for the costs of providing cable and high-speed internet service pursu-
18 ant to subdivision two of this section. Any federal funds made available
19 for such purpose and any state funds appropriated for cable and high-
20 speed internet service shall be deposited into such fund.
21 (c) The commission shall provide internet service providers and cable
22 television companies with an application to apply for reimbursement
23 payments from the fund.
24 § 2. The article heading of article 11 of the public service law, as
25 added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
26 PROVISIONS RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES AND INTERNET
27 SERVICE PROVIDERS
28 § 3. Section 212 of the public service law is amended by adding a new
29 subdivision 15 to read as follows:
30 15. "Internet service provider" shall mean any person, business, enti-
31 ty, or organization qualified to do business in the state that provides
32 individuals, corporations, or other entities with the ability to connect
33 to the internet through equipment that is located in the state.
34 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
35 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
36 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
37 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
38 on or before such effective date.
