NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7974

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Internet And Technology 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
May 15, 2025	referred to internet and technology

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8598
Current Committee:: Senate Internet And Technology
Law Section:: General Business Law
Laws Affected:: Add §394-i, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S9241
2023-2024: S6323, A7048

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires that businesses that provide consumers with online accounts to access services accounts for mobile telephones using proper identification if the business has a physical presence in this state.

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7974

SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to recovery of
online accounts for mobile telephones

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require wireless telephone companies with retail outlets
in the state, such as Apple, to allow consumers to prove their identity
in person if they cannot access their online account.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Amends the general business law to add a new section, 394-i, to allow
consumers to prove their identity at in-state brick and mortar locations
of wireless telephone companies, such as Apple, by providing a govern-
ment-issued identification card.

JUSTIFICATION:

If you lose access to your handheld wireless device, such as a cell
phone, a laptop, or a tablet, and someone is able to get the password to
that device, they may be able to change your master password and take
over your identity. In such cases, there may be no way for you to regain
access to your account without having access to the lost device.

This bill will allow owners of compromised handheld wireless devices to
use a photo ID to prove their identity in person at the retail stores of
wireless telephone companies in the state, such as Apple, so that they
can recover a compromised online account.

Being able to prove one's identity in-person when a company has a brick
and mortar location will be particularly useful in situations where a
device is physically or virtually stolen and all your passwords are
compromised, such as in cases of identity theft, robbery, or domestic
violence.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A7048-A of 2024: Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7974
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GONZALEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Internet and Technology
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in  relation  to  recovery  of
   online accounts for mobile telephones
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
 394-i to read as follows:
   § 394-I. RECOVERY OF ONLINE ACCOUNTS FOR MOBILE TELEPHONES.  A  PERSON
 OR  BUSINESS  THAT  PROVIDES  A  CONSUMER AN ONLINE ACCOUNT TO ACCESS OR
 MODIFY ACCESS TO SUCH CONSUMER'S MOBILE TELEPHONE SHALL, IF  A  CONSUMER
 CANNOT ACCESS SUCH ONLINE ACCOUNT, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THEIR
 IDENTITY  IN  PERSON USING TWO FORMS OF PHYSICAL PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:  (1) A VALID PASSPORT ISSUED BY THE UNITED
 STATES GOVERNMENT OR ANOTHER COUNTRY; (2) A VALID  DRIVER'S  LICENSE  OR
 NON-DRIVER'S  IDENTIFICATION  CARD  ISSUED BY THIS OR ANOTHER STATE, THE
 FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT,  ANY  UNITED  STATES  TERRITORY,  COMMONWEALTH   OR
 POSSESSION,  OR  THE  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, BEARING THE CONSUMER'S NAME,
 PHOTOGRAPH AND DATE OF BIRTH; (3) A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD ISSUED  BY  THE
 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION; OR (4) A CERTIFIED OR OFFICIAL COPY OF A
 BIRTH  CERTIFICATE,  TO  RECOVER  SUCH ONLINE ACCOUNT AND RESTORE ACCESS
 THERETO, PROVIDED THAT THE PERSON  OR  BUSINESS  PROVIDING  SUCH  ONLINE
 ACCOUNT FOR MOBILE TELEPHONE ACCESS HAS A PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND AT LEAST
 ONE  RETAIL  LOCATION  WITHIN  THIS STATE. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
 MOBILE TELEPHONE SHALL BE DEFINED AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED  IN  PARAGRAPH
 (A)  OF  SUBDIVISION  ONE OF SECTION TWELVE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE-C OF THE
 VEHICLE  AND TRAFFIC LAW.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01036-04-5

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Senate Bill S7974

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Internet And Technology Committee

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7974

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Sponsored By

Kristen Gonzalez

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Internet And Technology Committee

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7974 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments