Relates to requiring covered entities to publicly report on franchise fees, consumer complaints and denials of requests for service; defines covered entities; provides that the department of public service shall investigate allegations against covered entities upon the written request of 25 customers, the chief executive officer of the municipality or the county legislature of the county served.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2356
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 16, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring covered
entities to publicly report on franchise fees, consumer complaints and
denials of requests for service
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 28 to read as follows:
3 § 28. Publication of reports. 1. As used in this section, the
4 following terms shall have the following meanings:
5 (a) "covered entities" means a telephone corporation with more than
6 ten thousand customers that has provided line-powered voice service at
7 any point on or after January first, two thousand twenty-one; and
8 (b) "line-powered voice service" means residential voice service that
9 is provided using copper-based facilities that are line powered.
10 2. Within ninety days of the effective date of this section, the
11 department shall direct all covered entities, to report publicly on its
12 website or websites all franchise fees paid to the municipality or muni-
13 cipalities served, all consumer complaints, and any denials of requests
14 for service from residents of such municipalities during the term of the
15 current franchise. Covered entities shall report such information with-
16 out unreasonably exposing consumers' personally identifiable information
17 in a manner that violates public service law, department practice, or
18 federal law. Such reports shall be updated quarterly.
19 3. Upon a written request for an investigation into the covered enti-
20 ty's compliance with its franchise terms and applicable state and feder-
21 al law, signed by (a) twenty-five or more customers, or (b) the chief
22 executive officer of the municipality, or (c) the county legislature of
23 the county within which the system is located, the department shall
24 conduct an investigation into such allegations contained in a complaint
25 letter.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06409-01-5
