Requires any telephone service provider to furnish a toll-free consumer service number for consumers offered or provided unsolicited telephone services without a charge for a specified period of use time by means of a telephone calling card number, account number, electronic serial number or personal identification number when a charge, fee or payment is later required by the consumer for termination or continued use of the unsolicited telephone service.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1064
SPONSOR: Cahill TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring tele-
phone service providers to furnish a toll-free consumer service number
for consumers offered unsolicited services
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to require telephone service compa-
nies to provide consumers who must either subscribe to or terminate
telephone services at the end of a finite, no-charge trial period with a
toll-free number for customer service.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The legislation adds a new section 92-g to article 5 of the public
service law to provide the above measure.
JUSTIFICATION:
Under current law, any company or business offering unsolicited tele-
phone service in New York State for any specific period of time or value
is not required to provide a toll-free number for consumers to terminate
or discontinue such service. Without appropriate access to service
providers in respect to billing, rate and other information, a consumer
becomes highly vulnerable to charges for additional services that they
do not want or cannot afford.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-2020: A.159 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2017-2018: A.104 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2015-2016: A.772 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2013-2014: A.1371 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2011-2012: A.319 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2009-2010: A.603 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2007-2008: A.527 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2005-2006: A.4765 - Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
2003-2004: A.204 - Passed in Assembly 2002, Passed in Assembly.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1064
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 7, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK,
GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs
and Protection
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring tele-
phone service providers to furnish a toll-free consumer service number
for consumers offered unsolicited services
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 92-j to read as follows:
3 § 92-j. Toll-free consumer service number for consumers offered unso-
4 licited services. Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, associ-
5 ation, company or business offering or providing to a consumer unsolic-
6 ited telephone services without charge for a specified period of use
7 time or for a specified value of use time by means of a telephone call-
8 ing card number, account number, electronic serial number or personal
9 identification number when a charge, fee or payment is subsequently
10 required by the consumer for termination or continued use of the unso-
11 licited telephone service shall furnish a toll-free consumer service
12 number to all such consumers which a consumer can use to obtain answers
13 to questions, information on the rates, information on terms or condi-
14 tions, and for resolution of a billing or service complaint.
15 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
16 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01313-01-1
