NY State Senate Bill 2017-S6943

Senate Bill S6943

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring internet service providers to charge a residential rate to emergency service organizations

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to consumer protection
Nov 13, 2017	referred to rules

co-Sponsors

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2017-S6943 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:: General Business Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 40 §§900 & 901, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S2820
2021-2022: S2088
2023-2024: S5115

2017-S6943 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to requiring internet service providers to charge a residential rate to emergency service organizations; creates a new article for the regulation of internet service providers.

2017-S6943 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6943

SPONSOR: MARCHIONE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
internet service providers to charge a residential rate to emergency
service organizations

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 creates Article 40 of the general business law, which sets
forth that rates charged to emergency service organizations for internet
services not exceed residential customer rates, and establishes the
relevant definitions for "internet service provider" and "emergency
service organization"

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In the era of the tax cap, municipalities and local governments have
grown more aware of how every cent of taxpayer money is spent. In the
case of emergency services, including volunteer companies, it has become
apparent that a considerable amount of taxpayer money is being spent
providing cable services more specifically, internet access - to the
various organizations that keep our communities safe.

For emergency service organizations, access to the internet is vital, as
dispatching and other functions are performed using the internet.
Despite not using a commercial quantity of internet services, these
organizations are still charged business rates, putting a considerable
burden on the local governments and the taxpayers. This bill would alle-
viate that burden by stipulating that internet service providers charge
emergency service organizations at the residential rate, which is gener-
ally cheaper, rather than by business rates.  Implementing such a change
would ensure that our State's municipalities can continue to provide
vital services without an unnecessarily high cost of doing so.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
On the thirtieth day after it shall have become law.

2017-S6943 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6943
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             November 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. MARCHIONE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law, in relation to requiring
   internet service providers to charge a residential rate  to  emergency
   service organizations

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new article
 40 to read as follows:
                                 ARTICLE 40
                        INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
 SECTION 900. DEFINITIONS.
         901. RATES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
   § 900. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS  ARTICLE:    1.  "INTERNET
 SERVICE  PROVIDER"  MEANS ANY PERSON, BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION QUALIFIED
 TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE THAT PROVIDES INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, OR
 OTHER ENTITIES WITH THE ABILITY  TO  CONNECT  TO  THE  INTERNET  THROUGH
 EQUIPMENT THAT IS LOCATED IN THIS STATE.
   2.  "EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATION" MEANS ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE
 DEPARTMENT OR AMBULANCE SERVICE  OF  A  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISION  OF  THIS
 STATE, OR A VOLUNTARY FIRE OR AMBULANCE COMPANY.
   §  901. RATES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. NO INTERNET SERVICE
 PROVIDER SHALL CHARGE ANY EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATION AN AMOUNT WHICH
 IS MORE THAN THE RATE CHARGED TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS OF SUCH  INTERNET
 SERVICE  PROVIDER. WHEN SUCH INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER CHARGES DIFFERENT
 RATES  FOR  BUSINESS  CUSTOMERS  AND  RESIDENTIAL  CUSTOMERS,  EMERGENCY
 SERVICE PROVIDERS SHALL BE CHARGED THE RESIDENTIAL RATE.
   §  2.  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.
                                                            LBD13749-01-7

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