Senate Bill S7490

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7490
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 31, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  SKOUFIS, MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele-
   communications
 
 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.
   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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01694-01-3
              

 S. 7490                             2
 
   §  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.