Amd Art 11 Head, §§212 & 215, add §231, Pub Serv L; add §148, St Fin L
Relates to instituting internet service neutrality; provides the public service commission with jurisdiction over monitoring broadband internet service providers; requires a certification for internet service neutrality in certain state contracts.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2432
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, BARRETT, ORTIZ, MAGNARELLI, GOTTFRIED,
ENGLEBRIGHT, THIELE, SIMON, D'URSO, GLICK, LUPARDO, JAFFEE, ZEBROWSKI,
SANTABARBARA, COLTON, CAHILL, GALEF, MOSLEY, ARROYO, SEAWRIGHT,
PICHARDO, LIFTON, DINOWITZ, VANEL, STIRPE, L. ROSENTHAL, STECK,
ABINANTI, RICHARDSON, WRIGHT, WALLACE, O'DONNELL, TAYLOR, NIOU, QUART,
CARROLL, DE LA ROSA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and
Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public service law and the state finance law, in
relation to instituting internet service neutrality
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The article heading of article 11 of the public service
2 law, as added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 PROVISIONS RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES AND BROADBAND
5 INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
6 § 2. Section 212 of the public service law is amended by adding two
7 new subdivisions 15 and 16 to read as follows:
8 15. "Broadband internet access service" shall mean a mass-market
9 retail service that provides the capability to transmit data to and
10 receive data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including
11 any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the
12 communications service, but shall not include dial-up internet access
13 service.
14 16. "Broadband internet service provider" shall mean any person, busi-
15 ness or organization qualified to do business in this state, including
16 municipal broadband providers, that provides individuals, corporations,
17 or other entities with broadband internet access service.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02295-01-9
A. 2432 2
1 § 3. The section heading of section 215 of the public service law, as
2 added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended and a new subdivi-
3 sion 14 is added to read as follows:
4 Duties of the commission in respect to cable television companies and
5 broadband internet service providers.
6 14. Develop and maintain a statewide plan for the monitoring of broad-
7 band internet service providers, including the annual certification that
8 broadband internet service providers comply with the internet service
9 neutrality requirements established in section two hundred thirty-one of
10 this article.
11 § 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 148 to
12 read as follows:
13 § 148. Internet service neutrality requirements in certain procurement
14 contracts. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
15 where a contract that includes broadband internet access services is to
16 be awarded by a state agency as defined in section one hundred sixty of
17 this chapter or any state or local authority as such terms are defined
18 in section two of public authorities law, municipal corporation as
19 defined in section two of the general municipal law, public library or
20 association library, as such terms are defined in section two hundred
21 fifty-three of the education law, the legislature, judiciary, state
22 university of New York, or city university of New York pursuant to a
23 competitive bidding process or a request for proposal process, such
24 competitive bidding process or request for proposal and the subsequent
25 awarded contract shall require that such broadcast internet access
26 services are compliant with the internet service neutrality requirements
27 established in section two hundred thirty-one of the public service law.
28 Provided, however, the entity awarding such contract may award such
29 contract to any broadband internet service provider that is not certi-
30 fied by the public service commission pursuant to subdivision two of
31 section two hundred thirty-one of the public service law only if such
32 entity demonstrates to the public service commission that either (i)
33 there are no other broadband internet service providers available to
34 contract with, or (ii) awarding such contract to a certified broadband
35 internet service provider would result in a significant financial hard-
36 ship when compared to awarding the contract to a broadband internet
37 service provider not certified by the public service commission.
38 § 5. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 231 to
39 read as follows:
40 § 231. Internet service neutrality. 1. For purposes of this section,
41 "network management practice" shall mean a practice that has a primarily
42 technical network management justification, but does not include other
43 business practices. A "reasonable network management practice" shall
44 mean a network management practice that is primarily used for and
45 tailored to achieving a legitimate network management purpose, taking
46 into account the particular network architecture and technology of the
47 broadband internet access service.
48 2. The commission shall certify annually that any broadband internet
49 service provider qualified to do business in this state, does not:
50 (a) block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful
51 devices, subject to reasonable network management.
52 (b) impair or degrade lawful internet traffic on the basis of internet
53 content, application, or service, or use of a non-harmful device,
54 subject to reasonable network management.
55 (c) engage in paid prioritization, including, but not limited to,
56 traffic shaping, prioritization, resource reservation, or other forms of
A. 2432 3
1 preferential traffic management, either (i) in exchange for any form of
2 consideration from a third party, or (ii) to benefit an affiliated enti-
3 ty, unless the broadband internet service provider demonstrates that the
4 practice would provide a significant public interest benefit and would
5 not harm the open nature of the internet.
6 3. The commission shall annually prepare a report that lists the
7 certification status for every broadband internet service provider qual-
8 ified to do business in this state. Such report shall be published on
9 the commission's website and updated at least annually. The commission
10 shall notify the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and
11 the speaker of the assembly of the publication of such report and any
12 updates.
13 § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
14 it shall have become a law.
