Senate Bill S863

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Requires telephone companies to provide essential equipment, including voice dialing equipment, to persons with disabilities

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection 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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2013-S863 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add ยง399-zz-l, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S3096
2011-2012: S298
2015-2016: S467
2017-2018: S4926

2013-S863 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires telephone companies to provide essential equipment, including voice dialing equipment, to persons with disabilities.

2013-S863 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2013-S863 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   863

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DIAZ  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection

AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to providing tele-
  phone equipment with voice dialing functions to certain  persons  with
  disabilities

  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
399-zz-1 to read as follows:
  S 399-ZZ-1. RESIDENTIAL VOICE DIALING TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT. 1.  FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION: (A) "VOICE DIALING TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT"  SHALL
MEAN  CUSTOMER  PREMISES  EQUIPMENT SUCH AS TELEPHONE HANDSETS, DESIGNED
FOR USE ON THE RESIDENTIAL PREMISES OF  A  VISUALLY-IMPAIRED  PERSON  TO
ORIGINATE, ROUTE OR TERMINATE A TELEPHONE CALL;
  (B) "CONSUMER" OR "PURCHASER" SHALL MEAN: (I) A CERTIFIED VISUALLY-IM-
PAIRED  RETAIL CUSTOMER WHO PURCHASES SUCH EQUIPMENT FOR PERSONAL USE IN
A PLACE OF RESIDENCE WHERE THE ADDITION OF SUCH EQUIPMENT  IS  NECESSARY
TO ENABLE SUCH CONSUMER TO MAKE A TELEPHONE CALL AND THAT (II) MEETS THE
INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW YORK LIFELINE PROGRAM; AND
  (C)  "SELLER" SHALL MEAN ANY RETAILER, DISTRIBUTOR OR MANUFACTURER WHO
SELLS OR OFFERS FOR SALE RESIDENTIAL VOICE DIALING  TELEPHONE  EQUIPMENT
DIRECTLY  TO  A CONSUMER OR PURCHASER OR PLACES IN THE CHAIN OF DISTRIB-
UTION SUCH EQUIPMENT TO BE ULTIMATELY SOLD TO A CONSUMER.
  2. ANY MANUFACTURER OF RESIDENTIAL VOICE DIALING  TELEPHONE  EQUIPMENT
SHALL  OFFER  FOR  SALE  SUCH EQUIPMENT TO CONSUMERS, AS DEFINED IN THIS
SECTION, AT AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE ACTUAL COST OF MANUFACTURING THE
EQUIPMENT.
  S 2. Every telephone corporation, as  defined  in  section  2  of  the
public  service  law,  and every cable television company, as defined in
section 212 of public service law and any other  provider  of  telephone

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

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