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Senate Bill S10547

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the lifeline expansion act of 2026

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

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2025-S10547 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10262
Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §92-h, Pub Serv L

2025-S10547 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the lifeline expansion act to require all telephone and wireless providers in the state to offer lifeline service to households at or below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level.

2025-S10547 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10547 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10547
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 20, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- 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 enacting the
   lifeline expansion act of 2026
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "lifeline expansion act of 2026".
   § 2. Section 92-h of the public service law, as added by  chapter  434
 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   §  92-h.  Participation in the targeted accessibility fund. 1. As used
 in this section, the term "fund" shall mean the  targeted  accessibility
 fund  established by the commission for the purpose, among other things,
 of providing financial support for the provision of lifeline service  in
 the state.
   2.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, [any provider
 or reseller] ALL PROVIDERS AND  RESELLERS  of  commercial  mobile  radio
 service,  as  defined  in  47  C.F.R. § 20.3, in the state that [is] ARE
 designated as an eligible  telecommunications  carrier  pursuant  to  47
 U.S.C.  §  214(e) to offer lifeline service in the state [may, but shall
 not be required to,] AND EVERY TELEPHONE CORPORATION  SHALL  participate
 in  the  fund for the purpose of offering lifeline service TO HOUSEHOLDS
 AT OR BELOW TWO HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. [If such a
 provider elects to participate in the fund, the] EVERY provider, RESELL-
 ER AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION shall assume  all  rights  and  obligations
 associated with such participation under the commission's orders, on the
 same basis as other participants. [Any such provider that has elected to
 participate  in  the  fund  may  withdraw from such participation at any
 time.]
   3. Except to the extent necessary to supervise or administer the fund,
 nothing in this section shall confer upon the commission any  regulatory
 jurisdiction  over  providers  or  resellers  of commercial mobile radio
 service that [elect to] participate in the fund.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

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