NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7601

Senate Bill S7601

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides that municipal broadband service companies are authorized to provide broadband service to tenants in multi-family housing

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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 23, 2025	referred to energy and telecommunications

2025-S7601 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §228, Pub Serv L

2025-S7601 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that municipal broadband service companies are authorized to provide broadband service to tenants in multi-family housing; provides that landlords shall not interfere with the installation of such service, demand or accept payment for allowing the service on the property, or discriminate in rental charges between tenants who receive broadband service and those that don't.

2025-S7601 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7601

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to broadband service
in multi-family housing

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To remove an obstacle to municipal broadband service being installed in
the homes of renters, thereby increasing access to broadband services
where there is otherwise a lack of access.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Sec. 1 - amends section 228 of the public service law to provide that a
municipal broadband service may, upon a renter's request, enter the
premises of a renter to install broadband facilities without having to
first obtain the landlord's permission;

Sec. 2 - effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Municipal broadband refers to high-speed internet services that are
owned, operated, or provided by local governments or municipalities.
Many rural areas have faced challenges with inadequate internet access,
resulting in residents dealing with slow, unreliable of nonexistent
internet connections. In response, municipalities can initiate a munici-
pal broadband service to provide internet access to residents and busi-
nesses and other institutions within their jurisdiction. Across the
country, there are nearly 450 active municipal broadband networks.

One of the most challenging aspects of broadband deployment in rural
areas has been negotiations with landlords to install new service. A
major hurdle is gaining access to properties for serving renters. Incum-
bent cable companies such as Spectrum and Charter enjoy certain
protections under NY State law (Public Service Law Section 228), which
exempts them from needing a landlord's permission to install services
for tenants. Municipal ISPs, who do not have television/cable offerings,
are not able to take advantage of these same protections. While FCC
regulations prohibit property owners from enforcing a single service
provider on tenants, they do not mandate access to ISPs that are not
also cable TV providers, leaving renters with limited choices.

There are many benefits of municipal broadband services. Municipal
broadband may address the issue of limited internet access, especially
in rural and low-income areas where private 1SPs have been reluctant to
invest. There is also the potential for more competitive pricing, higher
quality services, and increased customer satisfaction as compared to
traditional ISPs. Expanded internet access through municipal broadband
can have benefits beyond providing internet access, such as fostering
economic development, improving access to education and healthcare, and
bridging the digital divide. This bill would allow, if requested by a
renter, a municipal broadband service to enter the premises of the
renter to install broadband facilities without having to obtain the
landlord's permission, just as cable television installers can already
do under existing law
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately,

2025-S7601 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7601
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 23, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 broadband service
   in multi-family housing
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Section 228 of the public service law, as added by chapter
 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
   § 228. Landlord-tenant relationship. 1. No landlord shall  (a)  inter-
 fere  with  the installation of cable television facilities OR MUNICIPAL
 BROADBAND SERVICE upon [his] THEIR property or premises, except  that  a
 landlord may require:
   (1)  that the installation of cable television facilities OR MUNICIPAL
 BROADBAND SERVICE conform to such reasonable conditions as are necessary
 to protect the safety, functioning and appearance of the  premises,  and
 the convenience and well being of other tenants;
   (2)  that  the cable television OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company
 or the tenant or a combination thereof  bear  the  entire  cost  of  the
 installation, operation or removal of such facilities; and
   (3)  that  the cable television OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company
 agree to indemnify the landlord for any damage caused by  the  installa-
 tion, operation or removal of such facilities.
   (b) demand or accept payment from any tenant, in any form, in exchange
 for  permitting  cable television service OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE
 on or within [his] THEIR property or premises, or from any  cable  tele-
 vision  OR  MUNICIPAL  BROADBAND SERVICE company in exchange therefor in
 excess of any amount which the commission shall, by  regulation,  deter-
 mine to be reasonable; or
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11579-01-5
 S. 7601                             2

   (c)  discriminate  in rental charges or otherwise, between tenants who
 receive cable television service  OR  MUNICIPAL  BROADBAND  SERVICE  and
 those who do not.
   2. Rental agreements and leases executed prior to January first, nine-
 teen hundred seventy-three may be enforced notwithstanding this section.
   3.  No  cable  television  OR  MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company may
 enter into any agreement with the owners, lessees or persons controlling
 or managing buildings served by a cable television OR  MUNICIPAL  BROAD-
 BAND  SERVICE  company,  or  do  or  permit any act, that would have the
 effect, directly or indirectly of diminishing or interfering with exist-
 ing rights of any tenant or other occupant of such building  to  use  or
 avail [himself] THEMSELF of master or individual antenna equipment.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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