S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  927--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. KAPLAN, MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommu-
   nications  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the public service law, the public authorities  law  and
   the  general  business law, in relation to requiring utility companies
   maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
 119-d to read as follows:
   § 119-D. TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR SERVICE OUTAGES.    1.  ANY  GAS  CORPO-
 RATION, ELECTRIC CORPORATION, GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION, WATER CORPO-
 RATION, STEAM CORPORATION OR A MUNICIPALITY RENDERING EQUIVALENT UTILITY
 SERVICES  IS  REQUIRED  TO  ESTABLISH,  PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A TOLL FREE
 PHONE NUMBER FOR CONSUMERS OF SUCH UTILITY TO CALL FOR REPORTING SERVICE
 OUTAGES. SUCH TOLL FREE NUMBER SHALL:
   A. BE ATTENDED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK;
   B. HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADEQUATELY  ADDRESS  A  SURGE  IN  PHONE  CALL
 VOLUME DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS;
   C.  BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE UTILITY
 COMPANY'S WEBSITE; AND
   D. BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY  ON  THE  FIRST  PAGE  OF  EACH
 CONSUMER'S BILLING STATEMENT.
   2.  THE  FAILURE  TO  COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THIS SECTION SHALL
 SUBJECT ANY GAS CORPORATION,  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION,  GAS  AND  ELECTRIC
 CORPORATION,  WATER  CORPORATION,  STEAM  CORPORATION  OR A MUNICIPALITY
 RENDERING EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES TO  THE  PENALTIES  AUTHORIZED  IN
 SECTION TWENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02590-08-1

 S. 927--A                           2
 
   3. ANY MUNICIPALITY SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PETITION THE COMMIS-
 SION  FOR  AN  EXEMPTION  FROM  THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION IF SUCH
 MUNICIPALITY CAN SHOW THAT SUCH REQUIREMENTS ARE UNDULY BURDENSOME.
   §  2.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
 1020-mm to read as follows:
   § 1020-MM. TOLL FREE  NUMBER  FOR  SERVICE  OUTAGES.  1.  THE  SERVICE
 PROVIDER  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A TOLL
 FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR CONSUMERS  OF  SERVICE  PROVIDED  BY  THE  SERVICE
 PROVIDER  TO  CALL  FOR REPORTING SERVICE OUTAGES. SUCH TOLL FREE NUMBER
 SHALL:
   (A) BE ATTENDED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK;
   (B) HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS  A  SURGE  IN  PHONE  CALL
 VOLUME DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS;
   (C) BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE AUTHOR-
 ITY'S WEBSITE; AND
   (D)  BE  POSTED  CLEARLY  AND  CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE FIRST PAGE OF EACH
 CONSUMER'S BILLING STATEMENT.
   2. THE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL
 SUBJECT  THE  SERVICE  PROVIDER  TO  THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN SECTION
 TWENTY-FIVE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   § 3.  The general business law is amended  by  adding  a  new  section
 399-yyyy to read as follows:
   § 399-YYYY. TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR CABLE TELEVISION AND INTERNET SERVICE
 OUTAGES.  1. ANY CABLE TELEVISION OR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER RENDERING
 EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE AND  MAIN-
 TAIN  A TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR CONSUMERS OF SUCH UTILITY TO CALL FOR
 REPORTING SERVICE OUTAGES. SUCH TOLL FREE NUMBER SHALL:
   (A) BE ATTENDED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK;
   (B) HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS  A  SURGE  IN  PHONE  CALL
 VOLUME DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS;
   (C)  BE  POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE CABLE
 TELEVISION OR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER'S WEBSITE; AND
   (D) BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON  THE  FIRST  PAGE  OF  EACH
 CONSUMER'S BILLING STATEMENT.
   2.  THE  FAILURE  TO  COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THIS SECTION SHALL
 SUBJECT ANY CABLE TELEVISION  OR  INTERNET  SERVICE  PROVIDER  RENDERING
 EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES TO THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN SECTION TWEN-
 TY-FIVE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.