The New York State Senate

Section two of bill amends the general business law by adding a new
section 393-f that will require every telegraph and telephone corpo-
ration, cable television corporation, cellular phone company, or munici-
pality to designate a third party to receive notice of the total amount
due or past due on all bills, the amounts of any payments made by or on
behalf of the customer, as well as copies of all collection and termi-
nation notices.

Section three of the bill amends section 1020-f of the public service
law by adding a new subdivision jj which provides that LIPA and its
service providers shall permit a customer to designate a third party to
receive notice of the total amount due or past due on all bills, the
amounts of any payments made by or on behalf of the customer, as well as
copies of all collection and termination notices.

Section four of the bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation will enable customers of utility, phone, and cable
services providers to designate a relative, friend, or other trusted
third party to receive notice of amounts due or past due on routine
bills and amounts paid by or on behalf of the customer, as well as any
collection or termination notices. Present statutes only apply to tradi-
tional utilities and could be interpreted to require third party notifi-
cation only of collection and termination notices. This bill will expand
the requirement, both by adding phone and cable service providers, and
by clarifying that third party notification programs must offer informa-
tion about amounts due and payments of routine bills, as well as
collection and termination notices.

We are all cognizant that many people may have difficulty keeping up
with bills-because of age, illness, ox other circumstances-even if they
are otherwise able to live independently. This legislation will enable
people to obtain the regular assistance of a third party in ensuring
that such bills are kept up-to-date, thereby enhancing their independ-
ence and making it easier for relatives, friends, and caregivers to
offer such assistance.

In addition, this bill recognizes that the services of utilities, phone
companies and cable services providers are increasingly converging. For
example, cable companies are offering phone and Internet services, and
utilities and phone companies are working on broadband networks that can
carry television programming. As these services continue to converge,
they will be more and more likely to offer packages of services that we
view an essential for daily living. The legislation would recog- nize
this and ensure that all providers have the same obligation to offer
third party billing on the same terms.

Finally, service providers might benefit from timelier bill payment if
this legislation is enacted.

The bill was amended 2003 to place some of the requirements in the
general business law rather than the public service law, so that all
service providers would be covered equally. In addition, because of
privacy concerns, a provision of a previous version of the bill that
would have required that full copies of bills be sent to a third party
has been changed to require only that amounts due, past due, and paid on
behalf of the customer be sent to the third party, since this informa-
tion is all that is necessary to assist customers in keeping up with
their bills.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019/20: S.1620 - REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

2016/17: S.2294 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications

2015-16: S.2440 A.5794 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications

2013-14: S.2639/A.3907 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications

2011-12: S.1112/A.3693 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications

2009-10: S.4290/A.509 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications

2008-09: S.7882A/A.10513A - Referred to Rules/Passed Assembly

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one hundred eighty days after it shall have
become a law.