NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4110

Senate Bill S4110

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring telephone companies to alert customers to replace telephone backup battery units and to provide one backup battery unit to each customer every three years

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 03, 2025	referred to energy and telecommunications

2025-S4110 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §104-b, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8933
2021-2022: S4180
2023-2024: S2589

2025-S4110 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires telephone companies to disclose information to subscribers regarding the backup power solution for their voice service equipment.

2025-S4110 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4110

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring tele-
phone companies to disclose information to subscribers regarding the
backup power solution for their voice service equipment; and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require any regulated telephone corporation to provide customers with
a biennial notice detailing the need to replace back up battery units
and provide customers with backup battery units every three units or at
a rate of time determined by the-public service commission.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends article 5 of the public service law by adding a new
section 134 to require any regulated telephone corporation provide
customers with a biennial notice detailing the need to replace their

back up battery units when units reach the end of their, usable life and
provide one back up battery every three years, or at a rate of time
determined by the PSC, at the customer's option and free of charge.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In efforts to provide more efficient service to customers, telecommuni-
cation corporations have begun switching from copper-based telephone
lines to fiber optic-based lines. Some of the benefits to using fiber
edit lines over copper lines include the fact that they are less expen-
sive to install; they do not break down as easily and are also less
susceptible to damage from environmental factors such as temperature and
electromagnetic fluctuations; and they offer enhanced performance capa-
bilities, for instance faster speeds and lower rates of signal loss.

However, the use of fiber optic lines does present certain consider-
ations. One significant issue is a customer's inability to use their
telephone in the event of a power outage. During an outage, a phone
connected to a copper wire line will continue to work.  However, a phone
connected to a fiber optic line will only work during an outage if a
customer has a back-up battery. The phone would continue to work until
the battery runs out of power. This situation is especially problematic
for low income individuals who might not have access to a back-up
battery nor ever the resources to purchase one, the elderly, and also
for these who rely on their landline at home for work purposes, such as
doctors who use their phone to connect with patients when they are out
of the office.

This bill would require telephone corporations to provide customers with
a biennial notice that details the need to replace backup battery units
before they reach the end of :heir usable life.  Additionally, this bill
would require such corporations to provide consumers with one backup
battery unit every three years, or as a rate determined by the PSC, at
the customer's request and free of charge and ensure fiber-based tele-

phone services remain operational in the event of residential power
loss.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S2589A Comrie/ A4875A Paulin

2021-22: S.4180

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.

2025-S4110 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4110
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- 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 requiring tele-
   phone companies to disclose information to subscribers  regarding  the
   backup power solution for their voice service equipment; and providing
   for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   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
 104-b to read as follows:
   §  104-B.    CORPORATION DISCLOSURE OBLIGATION CONCERNING BACKUP POWER
 SOLUTIONS.  1. AT MINIMUM ANNUALLY,  EVERY  REGULATED  TELEPHONE  CORPO-
 RATION  WHICH  HAS  PROVIDED  A  CURRENT  SUBSCRIBER WITH A BACKUP POWER
 SOLUTION FOR A FACILITIES-BASED, FIXED VOICE SERVICE OFFERED AS RESIDEN-
 TIAL SERVICE THAT IS NOT LINE POWERED,  PROVIDED  BY  SUCH  CORPORATION,
 SHALL  PROVIDE  SUCH  SUBSCRIBER WITH EITHER A WRITTEN NOTICE OR, IF THE
 SUBSCRIBER HAS ELECTED, AN ELECTRONIC NOTICE, DISCLOSING  THE  FOLLOWING
 INFORMATION:
   (A) SERVICE LIMITATIONS WITH AND WITHOUT BACKUP POWER;
   (B) PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT INFORMATION, INCLUDING COST;
   (C) EXPECTED BACKUP POWER DURATION;
   (D) PROPER USAGE AND STORAGE CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE IMPACT ON DURA-
 TION OF BACKUP POWER LIFE IF FAILING TO ADHERE TO PROPER USAGE AND STOR-
 AGE CONDITIONS;
   (E)  SUGGESTIONS  ON  HOW  TO MAXIMIZE BACKUP POWER DURING A PROLONGED
 POWER OUTAGE; AND
   (F)  SUBSCRIBER  BACKUP   POWER   SELF-TESTING   AND   SELF-MONITORING
 INSTRUCTIONS.
   SUCH NOTICE SHALL BE SENT TO THE SUBSCRIBER SEPARATELY FROM THE MONTH-
 LY BILLING STATEMENTS OR INVOICE.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05357-01-5

 S. 4110                             2
 
   2.(A) THE COMMISSION MAY PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS ADDING ADDI-
 TIONAL  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  THE  CONTENT OF THE DISCLOSURE AS REQUIRED IN
 SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
   (B)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  FURTHER  PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS
 REGARDING THE FORM OF THE WRITTEN NOTICE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE READABILITY
 BY REQUIRING THAT THE NOTICE:
   (1) BE WRITTEN IN A CLEAR AND COHERENT MANNER;
   (2) BE WRITTEN IN AT LEAST ELEVEN-POINT FONT SIZE; AND
   (3) WHEREVER PRACTICABLE, USE WORDS WITH COMMON AND EVERYDAY MEANINGS.
   3. THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO ASSURE, TO THE FULLEST
 EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THAT RESIDENTIAL SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVING  FIXED  VOICE
 SERVICE  FROM  ONE  TELEPHONE  CORPORATION,  BUT  USING  A  BACKUP POWER
 SOLUTION PROVIDED BY A DIFFERENT TELEPHONE  CORPORATION,  SHALL  RECEIVE
 THE  NOTICE  REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION, OR A SIMILAR NOTICE DETAILING THE
 INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION, FROM ONE OF THE PROVIDERS.
    4. THE DISCLOSURE REQUIRED BY 47 CFR 9.20(D) MAY SATISFY  THE  NOTICE
 REQUIREMENT  OF  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED IT COMPLIES
 WITH THE COMMISSION'S RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING FORMAT AS REQUIRED
 BY PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law and shall expire and be deemed repealed September 1, 2027.

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