Requires certain notices to be provided to customers at least forty-five days before such telephone corporation intends to change such customer's telephone service from copper-based telephone lines to fiber optic-based telephone lines.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4029--B
Cal. No. 528
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 25, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported favorably from
said committee, ordered to first and second report, amended on second
report, ordered to a third reading, and to be reprinted as amended,
retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring certain
notices to be provided to customers receiving telephone service
through fiber optic-based telephone lines
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
2 104 to read as follows:
3 § 104. Notice to customers on fiber optic-based telephone lines. 1.
4 The commission shall require each telephone corporation that provides
5 local exchange service to provide a notice containing information to
6 customers on the differences between copper-based telephone lines and
7 fiber optic-based telephone lines prior to when such telephone corpo-
8 ration initiates a change in such customer's telephone service from
9 copper-based telephone lines to fiber optic-based telephone lines.
10 Except (i) in cases of an emergency, including but not limited to resto-
11 ration or repair of service, or (ii) upon the request of the customer,
12 such notice shall be provided to the customer at least forty-five days
13 before such telephone corporation initiates a change in such customer's
14 telephone service from copper-based telephone lines to fiber optic-based
15 telephone lines. Such notice shall include, but not be limited to the
16 following: a description of the differences between copper-based tele-
17 phone lines and fiber optic-based telephone lines; the differences
18 between the effect a power outage would have on the telephone service
19 provided by copper-based and fiber optic-based telephone lines, includ-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09213-09-9
S. 4029--B 2
1 ing the availability of battery back-up options; an explanation of
2 whether the service will continue to be regulated by the commission; and
3 a phone number and contact information for customers who seek additional
4 information or wish to make a complaint to the commission.
5 2. The commission shall have the power to prescribe the form and
6 content of the notice established pursuant to this section. The commis-
7 sion may from time to time prescribe, by order, changes in the notice
8 thereof. The commission shall also have power to establish rules and
9 regulations for such notice and may from time to time modify the same.
10 3. Every telephone corporation shall file with the commission the
11 notice established pursuant to this section and obtain approval as to
12 the form and content thereof prior to providing such notice to custom-
13 ers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such notice shall be deemed to
14 be approved by the commission ninety days after such corporation applies
15 to the commission for approval, unless the commission, or its designee,
16 rejects the notice and requires specific changes within such ninety day
17 period. Upon a material change to the form and content of an approved
18 notice, a telephone corporation shall again file with the commission
19 such notice and obtain approval pursuant to this section. The commission
20 may establish what shall constitute a material change to the form and
21 content of the notice that would necessitate commission approval.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
23 it shall have become a law.