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

                                   434

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sen. GALLIVAN -- 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 and the civil practice law  and
  rules,  in relation to prohibiting business entities from transmitting
  false caller identification information with the intent to defraud  or
  harass any person

  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-ppp to read as follows:
  S 399-PPP. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF DECEPTIVE CALLER IDENTIFICATION
INFORMATION. 1. IT  SHALL  BE  UNLAWFUL  FOR  ANY  BUSINESS  ENTITY,  IN
CONNECTION WITH ANY TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE OR VOIP SERVICE, TO CAUSE
ANY  CALLER  IDENTIFICATION SERVICE TO TRANSMIT FALSE CALLER IDENTIFICA-
TION INFORMATION, WITH THE INTENT TO DEFRAUD OR HARASS,  WHEN  MAKING  A
CALL TO ANY PERSON WITHIN THE STATE.
  2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
  (A)  "BUSINESS  ENTITY" MEANS A CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION, PARTNERSHIP,
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP OR OTHER  LEGAL
ENTITY.
  (B)  "CALLER IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION" MEANS INFORMATION PROVIDED TO
AN END USER BY A CALLER IDENTIFICATION SERVICE REGARDING  THE  TELEPHONE
NUMBER  OF,  OR  OTHER  INFORMATION REGARDING THE ORIGINATION OF, A CALL
MADE USING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE OR VOIP SERVICE.
  (C) "CALLER  IDENTIFICATION  SERVICE"  MEANS  ANY  SERVICE  OR  DEVICE
DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE USER OF THE SERVICE OR DEVICE WITH THE TELEPHONE
NUMBER  OF,  OR  OTHER  INFORMATION REGARDING THE ORIGINATION OF, A CALL
MADE USING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS  SERVICE  OR  VOIP  SERVICE.  SUCH  TERM
INCLUDES AUTOMATIC NUMBER IDENTIFICATION SERVICES.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00375-02-5
              

S. 434                              2

  (D)  "VOIP SERVICE" MEANS ANY SERVICE THAT: ENABLES REAL TIME, TWO-WAY
VOICE COMMUNICATION  ORIGINATING  FROM  OR  TERMINATING  AT  THE  USER'S
LOCATION IN INTERNET PROTOCOL OR A SUCCESSOR PROTOCOL; UTILIZES A BROAD-
BAND  CONNECTION AT THE USER'S LOCATION; AND PERMITS A USER TO RECEIVE A
CALL  THAT  ORIGINATES  ON  THE PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK AND TO
TERMINATE A CALL TO THE PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK.
  3. WHENEVER THERE SHALL BE A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION, AN APPLICATION
MAY BE MADE BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE NAME OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE
STATE  OF NEW YORK TO A COURT OR JUSTICE HAVING JURISDICTION TO ISSUE AN
INJUNCTION, AND UPON NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT, TO IMMEDIATELY ENJOIN  AND
RESTRAIN  THE  CONTINUANCE OF SUCH VIOLATIONS; AND IF IT SHALL APPEAR TO
THE SATISFACTION OF THE COURT OR JUSTICE,  BY  A  PREPONDERANCE  OF  THE
EVIDENCE,  THAT  THE  DEFENDANT  HAS,  IN FACT, VIOLATED THIS SECTION AN
INJUNCTION MAY  BE  ISSUED  BY  SUCH  COURT  OR  JUSTICE  ENJOINING  AND
RESTRAINING  ANY  FURTHER  VIOLATION,  WITHOUT  REQUIRING PROOF THAT ANY
PERSON HAS, IN FACT, BEEN INJURED OR DAMAGED THEREBY. THE COURT MAY MAKE
ALLOWANCES TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL  AS  PROVIDED  IN  PARAGRAPH  SIX  OF
SUBDIVISION (A) OF SECTION EIGHTY-THREE HUNDRED THREE OF THE CIVIL PRAC-
TICE  LAW  AND  RULES. IN ADDITION TO ANY SUCH ALLOWANCES, THE COURT MAY
DIRECT RESTITUTION TO ANY VICTIM UPON A SHOWING OF DAMAGES BY A  PREPON-
DERANCE  OF THE EVIDENCE.  IN ADDITION TO ANY SUCH RESTITUTION, WHENEVER
THE COURT SHALL DETERMINE THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION HAS OCCURRED,
THE COURT MAY IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY  OF  NOT  MORE  THAN  TWO  THOUSAND
DOLLARS  PER  CALL,  UP TO A TOTAL AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF NOT MORE THAN ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, FOR ALL CALLS  PLACED  IN  VIOLATION  OF  THIS
SECTION  WITHIN A CONTINUOUS SEVENTY-TWO HOUR PERIOD. IN CONNECTION WITH
ANY SUCH PROPOSED APPLICATION, THE ATTORNEY  GENERAL  IS  AUTHORIZED  TO
TAKE  PROOF  AND MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THE RELEVANT FACTS AND TO ISSUE
SUBPOENAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES.
  4. SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION  DOES  NOT  CREATE,  AND  IS  NOT
INTENDED  TO  CREATE,  ANY  RIGHT OF ACTION AGAINST A TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SERVICE PROVIDER OR VOIP SERVICE PROVIDER WHOSE SERVICE, INCLUDING CALL-
ER IDENTIFICATION SERVICE, IS USED BY A BUSINESS ENTITY TO  TRANSMIT  OR
DISPLAY  FALSE  CALLER  IDENTIFICATION  INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF THIS
SECTION.
  5. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY MEMBER  OF  A
LAW  ENFORCEMENT  UNIT  ACTING  WITHIN  THE SCOPE OF HIS OR HER ASSIGNED
DUTIES OR TO A COURT ORDER THAT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THE USE OF CALL-
ER IDENTIFICATION MANIPULATION.
  S 2. Paragraph 6 of subdivision (a) of section 8303 of the civil prac-
tice law and rules, as amended by chapter 530 of the laws  of  2002,  is
amended to read as follows:
  6. to the plaintiffs in an action or proceeding brought by the [attor-
ney-general] ATTORNEY GENERAL under [articles] ARTICLE twenty-two, twen-
ty-two-A,  twenty-three-A or thirty-three or section three hundred nine-
ty-one-b, THREE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE-PPP, or five hundred twenty-a of the
general business law, or under subdivision twelve of section sixty-three
of the executive law, or under article  twenty-three  of  the  arts  and
cultural  affairs  law,  or  in  an  action or proceeding brought by the
[attorney-general]  ATTORNEY  GENERAL  under  applicable   statutes   to
dissolve  a  corporation or for usurpation of public office, or unlawful
exercise of franchise or of corporate right, a  sum  not  exceeding  two
thousand dollars against each defendant.
  S  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law.