S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8026
 
                        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 Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing inter-
   net access to all individuals residing in temporary  housing;  and  to
   amend  the  New  York  state  urban  development  corporation  act, in
   relation to the ConnectAll  digital  equity grant program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 17 of the social services law is amended by adding
 a new subdivision (m) is added to read as follows:
   (M) REQUIRE THAT ALL TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITIES SHALL PROVIDE ACCESS
 TO HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE AND WIFI SERVICE TO  ALL  INDI-
 VIDUALS  RESIDING  IN SUCH TEMPORARY HOUSING.  THE WIFI SERVICE SHALL BE
 MADE AVAILABLE IN PRIVATE AND  COMMON  AREAS  ACCESSIBLE  TO  RESIDENTS.
 SUCH  SHELTER  SHALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE ROUTER AND AT LEAST ONE MODEM, OR
 ANY TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIVALENT THAT PERFORMS THE FUNCTION OF PROVIDING  AN
 AREA  WITH  HIGH-SPEED  BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE" MEANS
 INTERNET SERVICE WITH DOWNLOAD SPEEDS OF AT LEAST ONE GIGABIT PER SECOND
 AND UPLOAD SPEEDS OF AT LEAST ONE GIGABIT PER SECOND, OR IF SUCH  SPEEDS
 ARE  NOT  AVAILABLE  THE MAXIMUM DOWNLOAD AND UPLOAD SPEEDS COMMERCIALLY
 AVAILABLE WITHIN THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT.    THE  TERM  "WIFI
 SERVICE"  MEANS ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND INTERNET THROUGH WIRELESS
 ROUTER WHICH CONNECTS TO THE INTERNET BY WIRE OR CABLE.  FOR PURPOSES OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION, TEMPORARY HOUSING SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,
 SHELTERS FOR ADULTS, SHELTERS FOR ADULT FAMILIES,  SMALL-CAPACITY  SHEL-
 TERS,  SHELTERS  FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS,
 RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH SHELTERS, SHELTERS IN HOTELS OR SHELTERS  FOR
 REFUGEES.  EACH  TEMPORARY  HOUSING  FACILITY SHALL SUBMIT THEIR PLAN TO
 PROVIDE INTERNET ACCESS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION TO  THE  DEPARTMENT
 FOR OVERSIGHT AND APPROVAL WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03220-01-5
              

 S. 8026                             2
 
 SUBDIVISION.  TEMPORARY  HOUSING  FACILITIES  SHALL IMPLEMENT AND COMPLY
 WITH SUCH PLANS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF SUCH APPROVAL.
   (1)  (I)  A  TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITY SHALL NOT USE, DISCLOSE, SELL,
 RETAIN, OR PERMIT ACCESS TO THE PERSONAL  INFORMATION  PERTAINING  TO  A
 PERSON RESIDING IN TEMPORARY HOUSING OBTAINED IN THE COURSE OF PROVIDING
 INTERNET ACCESS EXCEPT AS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUCH ACCESS WITHOUT REGARD
 TO  CONTENT, APPLICATION, SERVICE, OR USE OF A NON-HARMFUL DEVICE, OR TO
 RESPOND TO A WARRANT OR SUBPOENA ISSUED BY A COURT OF  COMPETENT  JURIS-
 DICTION.
   (II)  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, PERSONAL INFORMATION SHALL
 MEAN INFORMATION THAT DIRECTLY OR  INDIRECTLY  IDENTIFIES,  RELATES  TO,
 DESCRIBES,  IS  CAPABLE OF BEING ASSOCIATED WITH, OR COULD REASONABLY BE
 LINKED TO A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, OR PERSONAL DEVICE.  INFORMA-
 TION IS REASONABLY LINKABLE TO AN INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, OR PERSONAL DEVICE
 IF IT CAN BE USED ON ITS OWN OR IN  COMBINATION  WITH  OTHER  REASONABLY
 AVAILABLE  INFORMATION,  REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH OTHER INFORMATION IS
 HELD BY THE SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT OR TEMPORARY HOUSING  FACILITY,  TO
 IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, OR A PERSONAL DEVICE.
   (2)  ANY  CONTRACT  OR  AGREEMENT  FOR  INTERNET ACCESS PROVIDED BY AN
 INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER TO A TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITY SHALL HAVE THE
 SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS, OTHER THAN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS  SECTION,
 AS  THE REGULARLY PRICED COMPARABLE INTERNET PLAN OFFERED BY SUCH INTER-
 NET SERVICE PROVIDER.
   (3) LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS, TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITIES, AND
 THEIR EMPLOYEES AND SUBCONTRACTORS SHALL NOT  BE  REQUIRED  TO  ACTIVELY
 MONITOR OR CONTROL THE INFORMATION ACCESSED THROUGH THE WIFI SERVICE AND
 SHALL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ILLEGAL AND/OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
 COMMITTED,  ORCHESTRATED,  OR ORGANIZED THROUGH THE PROVIDED WIFI ACCESS
 BY RESIDENTS.
   (4) WHERE CREDENTIALS, SUCH AS A PASSWORD AND USERNAME, ARE  NECESSARY
 TO ACCESS WIFI, TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITIES SHALL CONSPICUOUSLY DISPLAY
 SUCH  CREDENTIALS IN ALL PUBLIC AREAS OF THE FACILITY. TEMPORARY HOUSING
 FACILITIES NEED NOT DISCLOSE THE CREDENTIALS  TO  ACCESS  WIFI  THAT  IS
 RESERVED FOR STAFF OR EMERGENCY SERVICE USE.
   (5)  WHERE A TEMPORARY HOUSING FACILITY IS A HOTEL OR MOTEL AS DEFINED
 IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE-V OF THIS CHAPTER, AND SUCH  TEMPORARY
 HOUSING  FACILITY PROVIDES WIFI ACCESS TO PATRONS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST,
 SUCH FACILITY SHALL PROVIDE WIFI TO  ALL  RESIDENTS,  WITHOUT  DISCRIMI-
 NATION AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.
   §  2.   Subdivision 10 of section 16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of
 the laws of 1968, as added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the
 laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   10. ConnectAll digital equity grant program.  The  ConnectAll  digital
 equity  grant  program  is  hereby established to support individuals to
 have the information technology capacity needed for  full  participation
 in  society and the economy, including the effective implementation of a
 State Digital Equity Plan or any successor plan AND TO FACILITATE, FUND,
 OR REIMBURSE, THE PROVISION OF INTERNET ACCESS AS PROVIDED  IN  SUBDIVI-
 SION  (M)  OF  SECTION  17  AND  SECTION 153 OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
 Grants issued pursuant to this program shall be awarded in a manner  and
 form  as determined by the division consistent with all relevant federal
 laws, codes, rules, and regulations associated with the federal  Digital
 Equity  Act  as established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
 Act. The division shall establish such State Digital Equity Plan and the
 procedures to solicit, receive and evaluate proposals  for  the  program
 S. 8026                             3
 
 consistent  with  rules,  regulations,  or guidelines established by the
 commissioner.
   §  3.  This act shall take effect immediately.  Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.