Senate Bill S444

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Requires telegraph and telephone corporations to charge religious organizations residential rates

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2014	referred to energy and telecommunications
Jan 09, 2013	referred to energy and telecommunications

co-Sponsors

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6004
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §92, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S3105, A5028
2011-2012: S295, A6115
2015-2016: S140
2017-2018: S4907

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires telegraph and telephone corporations to charge religious organizations residential rates.

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S444

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring telegraph and
telephone corporations to offer residential rates to religious
organizations

PURPOSE:
To make the telephone bills of religious organizations more affordable
by requiring telephone companies to offer residential rates to such
organizations.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends Section 92 Subdivision 3 of the Public Service law.
Prohibits telephone companies from charging religious organizations
rates which are greater than rates applicable to residential
customers for telephone services utilized exclusively in connection
with religious purposes.

Section 2. Effective Date

EXISTING LAW:
Section 76 of the Public Service Law allows religious organizations
to be charged residential rates for gas and electric service.  This
provision is not applicable to telephone services.

JUSTIFICATION:
Under current law, section 76 of the Public Service Law provides
that religious organizations shall be subject to residential rates
for gas and electric service. Such law assists religious
organizations by making their gas and electric bills more affordable.
This bill would provide similar assistance to religious organizations
with regard to their telephone bills.

Religious organizations are not businesses and they do not make a
profit. They rely primarily on donations for their expenses. It is
inappropriate, therefore, that religious organizations be subject to
business telephone rates. Business telephone rates generally charge
customers by the number of calls and by the length of each call, a
practice which may be warranted when calls are being used to derive
profit or to further a business purpose. When calls are being made
for religious purposes, however, lower cost residential rates should
be applicable.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2012:    S.295 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications/A.6115 -
         Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
2011:    S.295 - Reported, Committed to Finance/A.6115 - Referred
         to Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions
2009-10: S.3105 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications/A.5028 -
         Reported Referred to Ways and Means
2008:    S.7250 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications
2007-08: A.6631 Reported Referred to Ways and Means

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill will take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall become law.

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                   444

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
  cations

AN  ACT  to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring tele-
  graph and telephone corporations to offer residential rates  to  reli-
  gious organizations

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

  Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 92 of the public service  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  124  of  the  laws  of 1911, is amended to read as
follows:
  3. [No] (A) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED  IN  PARAGRAPH  (B)  OF  THIS
SUBDIVISION,  NO  telegraph corporation or telephone corporation subject
to the provisions of this chapter shall, directly  or  indirectly,  give
any  free  or  reduced service, or any free pass or frank for the trans-
mission of messages by either  telephone  or  telegraph  between  points
within  this  state, except to its officers, employees, agents, pension-
ers, surgeons,  physicians,  attorneys-at-law  and  their  families;  to
persons  or corporations exclusively engaged in charitable and eleemosy-
nary work and ministers of religions; to officers and employees of other
telegraph corporations and telephone corporations, railroad corporations
and street railroad corporations.  But this subdivision shall not  apply
to state, municipal or federal contracts.
  (B)  NO TELEGRAPH CORPORATION OR TELEPHONE CORPORATION SHALL, DIRECTLY
OR INDIRECTLY, CHARGE, DEMAND, COLLECT OR RECEIVE A RATE,  WHICH  IS  IN
EXCESS  OF  THE  APPLICABLE  RESIDENTIAL  RATE  FOR  THE TRANSMISSION OF
MESSAGES BY EITHER TELEPHONE OR  TELEGRAPH  BETWEEN  POINTS  WITHIN  THE
STATE,  FROM  ANY  CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED AND CONDUCTED IN
GOOD FAITH FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES, INCLUDING THE OPERATION OF  A  SCHOOL
REGARDLESS  OF  WHETHER  SECULAR  SUBJECTS ARE TAUGHT THEREIN, WHEN SUCH

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

                                                           LBD00611-01-3

S. 444                              2

CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION UTILIZES SUCH SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH ITS
RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S444

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

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co-Sponsors

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Details

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Ruben Diaz

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

John L. Sampson

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Details

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2013-S444 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments