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Assembly Bill A4474

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Gives phone customers the ability to block the reception of messages they may find obscene

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2013-A4474 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Amd ยง91, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A7214
2011-2012: A3674
2015-2016: A5874
2017-2018: A6330
2019-2020: A6375
2021-2022: A5503
2023-2024: A4389
2025-2026: A6146

2013-A4474 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that all regulated local exchange telephone companies shall offer customers the option to block access to obscene information-access services and inform their customers of such blocking service; such service shall be without charge to the customer; requires public service commission to instruct such telephone companies to designate a specific prefix for messages the telephone company considers extreme.

2013-A4474 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4474

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 5, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. FINCH, KOLB, McDONOUGH, KATZ -- Multi-Sponsored
  by -- M. of A. HAWLEY, MAGEE -- read once and referred to the  Commit-
  tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

AN  ACT  to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring local
  phone companies to provide customers with a cost free option to  block
  certain information-access services

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Legislative findings and intent. Effective  July  1,  1989
customers  who wish to block "adult" messages, group calling services or
recorded information and entertainment services from their  phones  have
had  to  pay  a  five  dollar  fee. The legislature finds that customers
should not have to pay to block a service they never requested and  that
this blocking option should be made available free of charge.
  S  2.  Section 91 of the public service law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 8 to read as follows:
  8. (A) THE COST FOR PROVIDING BLOCKING SERVICES AND INFORMING  CUSTOM-
ERS  THEREOF,  SHALL  BE  BORNE  BY  THE TELEPHONE COMPANY PROVIDING THE
BLOCKING SERVICE, AND SHALL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THAT TELEPHONE  COMPANY'S
RATE BASE.
  (B)  THE  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION SHALL PROMULGATE THE APPROPRIATE
RULES AND REGULATIONS WITHIN ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE
DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become a law.



 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00861-01-3

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