S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10999
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             September 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Sayegh) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on  Corporations,  Authorities
   and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relating to requiring utility
   companies maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a  new  section
 119-d to read as follows:
   §  119-D.  TOLL  FREE  NUMBER FOR SERVICE OUTAGES.   1. ANY GAS CORPO-
 RATION, ELECTRIC CORPORATION, GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION, WATER CORPO-
 RATION, STEAM CORPORATION, TELEGRAPH CORPORATION, TELEPHONE CORPORATION,
 CABLE TELEVISION COMPANY, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER  OR  A  MUNICIPALITY
 RENDERING  EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE
 AND MAINTAIN A TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR CONSUMERS OF SUCH  UTILITY  TO
 CALL FOR REPORTING SERVICE OUTAGES. SUCH TOLL FREE NUMBER SHALL:
   A. BE ATTENDED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK;
   B.  HAVE  THE  CAPACITY  TO  ADEQUATELY  ADDRESS A SURGE IN PHONE CALL
 VOLUME DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS;
   C. BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE  UTILITY
 COMPANY'S WEBSITE; AND
   D.  BE  POSTED  CLEARLY  AND  CONSPICUOUSLY  ON THE FIRST PAGE OF EACH
 CONSUMER'S BILLING STATEMENT.
   2. THE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS  IN  THIS  SECTION  SHALL
 SUBJECT  ANY  GAS  CORPORATION,  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION, GAS AND ELECTRIC
 CORPORATION, WATER  CORPORATION,  STEAM  CORPORATION,  TELEGRAPH  CORPO-
 RATION,   TELEPHONE  CORPORATION,  CABLE  TELEVISION  COMPANY,  INTERNET
 SERVICE PROVIDER OR A MUNICIPALITY RENDERING EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES
 TO THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN SECTION TWENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD17084-03-0