Provides "WiFi service" internet access to all individuals residing in temporary housing; relates to funding for internet service under the ConnectAll digital equity grant program.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8026
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 15, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. GONZALEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing inter-
net access to all individuals residing in temporary housing; and to
amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
relation to the ConnectAll digital equity grant program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 17 of the social services law is amended by adding
2 a new subdivision (m) is added to read as follows:
3 (m) require that all temporary housing facilities shall provide access
4 to high-speed broadband internet service and WiFi service to all indi-
5 viduals residing in such temporary housing. The WiFi service shall be
6 made available in private and common areas accessible to residents.
7 Such shelter shall have at least one router and at least one modem, or
8 any technological equivalent that performs the function of providing an
9 area with high-speed broadband internet service. For the purposes of
10 this subdivision, the term "high-speed broadband internet service" means
11 internet service with download speeds of at least one gigabit per second
12 and upload speeds of at least one gigabit per second, or if such speeds
13 are not available the maximum download and upload speeds commercially
14 available within the local social services district. The term "WiFi
15 service" means access to high-speed broadband internet through wireless
16 router which connects to the internet by wire or cable. For purposes of
17 this subdivision, temporary housing shall include but not be limited to,
18 shelters for adults, shelters for adult families, small-capacity shel-
19 ters, shelters for families with children, domestic violence shelters,
20 runaway and homeless youth shelters, shelters in hotels or shelters for
21 refugees. Each temporary housing facility shall submit their plan to
22 provide internet access pursuant to this subdivision to the department
23 for oversight and approval within one year of the effective date of this
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03220-01-5
S. 8026 2
1 subdivision. Temporary housing facilities shall implement and comply
2 with such plans within one year of such approval.
3 (1) (i) A temporary housing facility shall not use, disclose, sell,
4 retain, or permit access to the personal information pertaining to a
5 person residing in temporary housing obtained in the course of providing
6 internet access except as required to provide such access without regard
7 to content, application, service, or use of a non-harmful device, or to
8 respond to a warrant or subpoena issued by a court of competent juris-
9 diction.
10 (ii) For the purposes of this subdivision, personal information shall
11 mean information that directly or indirectly identifies, relates to,
12 describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be
13 linked to a particular individual, family, or personal device. Informa-
14 tion is reasonably linkable to an individual, family, or personal device
15 if it can be used on its own or in combination with other reasonably
16 available information, regardless of whether such other information is
17 held by the social services district or temporary housing facility, to
18 identify an individual, family, or a personal device.
19 (2) Any contract or agreement for internet access provided by an
20 internet service provider to a temporary housing facility shall have the
21 same terms and conditions, other than the requirements of this section,
22 as the regularly priced comparable internet plan offered by such inter-
23 net service provider.
24 (3) Local social services districts, temporary housing facilities, and
25 their employees and subcontractors shall not be required to actively
26 monitor or control the information accessed through the WiFi service and
27 shall not be held responsible for any illegal and/or criminal activities
28 committed, orchestrated, or organized through the provided WiFi access
29 by residents.
30 (4) Where credentials, such as a password and username, are necessary
31 to access WiFi, temporary housing facilities shall conspicuously display
32 such credentials in all public areas of the facility. Temporary housing
33 facilities need not disclose the credentials to access WiFi that is
34 reserved for staff or emergency service use.
35 (5) Where a temporary housing facility is a hotel or motel as defined
36 in section one hundred thirty-one-v of this chapter, and such temporary
37 housing facility provides WiFi access to patrons at no additional cost,
38 such facility shall provide WiFi to all residents, without discrimi-
39 nation at no additional cost.
40 § 2. Subdivision 10 of section 16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of
41 the laws of 1968, as added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the
42 laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
43 10. ConnectAll digital equity grant program. The ConnectAll digital
44 equity grant program is hereby established to support individuals to
45 have the information technology capacity needed for full participation
46 in society and the economy, including the effective implementation of a
47 State Digital Equity Plan or any successor plan and to facilitate, fund,
48 or reimburse, the provision of internet access as provided in subdivi-
49 sion (m) of section 17 and section 153 of the social services law.
50 Grants issued pursuant to this program shall be awarded in a manner and
51 form as determined by the division consistent with all relevant federal
52 laws, codes, rules, and regulations associated with the federal Digital
53 Equity Act as established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
54 Act. The division shall establish such State Digital Equity Plan and the
55 procedures to solicit, receive and evaluate proposals for the program
S. 8026 3
1 consistent with rules, regulations, or guidelines established by the
2 commissioner.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately,
4 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
5 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
6 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
