NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5343

Senate Bill S5343

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Requires reports from certain telephone corporations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications 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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to energy and telecommunications
Jun 10, 2023	committed to rules
Jun 06, 2023	amended on third reading 5343a
Mar 21, 2023	advanced to third reading
Mar 20, 2023	2nd report cal.
Mar 16, 2023	1st report cal.529
Mar 02, 2023	referred to energy and telecommunications

Votes

- Mar 14, 2023 - Energy And Telecommunications Committee Vote
  S5343
  
  6
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Energy And Telecommunications Committee Vote: Mar 14, 2023
      
      aye (6)
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Hinchey
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Mannion
      
      Parker
      
      nay (2)
      
      O'Mara
      
      Walczyk
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Mattera

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2023-S5343 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Services

2023-S5343 - Summary

Requires reports from certain telephone corporations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services.

2023-S5343 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5343

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to requiring reports from broadband, telephone and
cable companies on the quality and availability of copper wire based
services

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

Requires reports from broadband, telephone and cable companies on the
quality and availability of copper wire based services

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 provides that all broadband, cable and telephone companies
with more than ten thousand customers shall prepare and submit to the
department of public service and the legislature a written report that
shall make findings and recommendations concerning the quality and
availability of copper-wired-based services.

(2) provides that covered providers shall publish on its website the
reports required pursuant to section one, simultaneously with the
submission of each report.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Fiber optic wiring in the telecommunications industry has traditionally
been an expensive alternative to copper, however, this has been chang-
ing. Copper has been the predominant player in the industry and a cheap
option in network device connections. Today, the price gap between the
two continues to narrow as the cost of fiber components and hardware
have steadily decreased. Moreover, fiber provides many benefits over
copper such as its resistance to environmental factors and unlike
copper, it does not transmit electricity and therefore it does not radi-
ate signals nor can it be tapped.

This legislation provides that telecommunications companies with more
than ten thousand customers shall submit to the legislator reports
pertaining to the extent and nature of switching customers from copper
to fiber based services. With this, information will be readily avail-
able on the competency, reliability and availability of the traditional
copper wire based services.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2023-S5343 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5343
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring reports from broadband, telephone and
   cable companies on the quality and availability of copper  wire  based
   services

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. 1. Within sixty days after the effective date of this  act,
 each  broadband, telephone and cable company with more than ten thousand
 customers  shall  prepare and submit to the department of public service
 and the legislature a written report that shall make findings and recom-
 mendations concerning the quality and availability of copper wire  based
 services.  Without unreasonably exposing customers' personally identifi-
 able information in a manner  that  violates  the  public  service  law,
 department of public service practices or federal law, reports from such
 companies shall include, but not be limited to the following:
   a.  the  number  of customers who receive residential service provided
 via copper wire;
   b. the number of customers that were notified by the company that they
 would be switched from copper wire based service to  fiber  optic  based
 service,  despite  customers'  requests  to  remain on copper wire based
 service;
   c. the number and location of service areas  where  both  the  company
 informed  customers  that the customer's copper wire based service shall
 be discontinued and where customers also did not  have  the  ability  to
 switch to fiber based service at the time of such notification;
   d.  the  number  of  customers who requested or attempted to return to
 copper wire based service after being moved to fiber optic based service
 by the company; and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09936-01-3
 S. 5343                             2

 
   e. the number of customers receiving copper  wire  based  service  who
 were  refused  quality  resolution  or  service  repair and were instead
 advised to switch to fiber optic based service for reliable service from
 the company.
   2.  Each   broadband, telephone and cable company shall publish on its
 website the report required pursuant to subdivision one of this section,
 simultaneously with the submission of such  report.  The  reports  shall
 include  the  information required pursuant to this section in a spread-
 sheet format. The department of public service shall provide  meaningful
 opportunities  for  public comment from all persons who will be impacted
 by the reports. The public hearings shall also be available virtually.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately

2023-S5343A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Services

2023-S5343A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires reports from certain telephone corporations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services.

2023-S5343A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5343A

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to requiring reports from certain telephone corpo-
rations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

Requires reports from broadband, telephone and cable companies on the
quality and availability of copper wire based services

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 provides that all overed providers with more than ten thousand
customers shall prepare and submit to the department of public service
and the legislature a written report that shall make findings and recom-
mendations concerning the quality and availability of copper-wired-based
services.

(2) provides that covered providers shall publish on its website the

reports required pursuant to section one, simultaneously with the
submission of each report.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Fiber optic wiring in the telecommunications industry has traditionally
been an expensive alternative to copper, however, this has been chang-
ing. Copper has been the predominant player in the industry and a cheap
option in network device connections. Today, the price gap between the
two continues to narrow as the cost of fiber components and hardware
have steadily decreased. Moreover, fiber provides many benefits over
copper such as its resistance to environmental factors and unlike
copper, it does not transmit electricity and therefore it does not radi-
ate signals nor can it be tapped.

This legislation provides that telecommunications companies with more
than ten thousand customers shall submit to the legislator reports
pertaining to the extent and nature of switching customers from copper
to fiber based services. With this, information will be readily avail-
able on the competency, reliability and availability of the traditional
copper wire based services.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S5343A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5343--A
     Cal. No. 529
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations  --  reported  favorably from said committee, ordered to first
   and second report, ordered to a third  reading,  amended  and  ordered
   reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring reports from certain telephone corpo-
   rations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
 the following meanings:
   a. "line-powered voice service" means residential voice  service  that
 is provided using copper-based facilities that are line-powered; and
   b. "covered provider" means a telephone corporation with more than ten
 thousand  customers  that has provided line-powered voice service at any
 point on or after January 1, 2021.
   2. Within sixty days after  the  effective  date  of  this  act,  each
 covered  provider  shall  prepare and submit to the department of public
 service and the legislature a written report that  shall  make  findings
 and recommendations concerning the quality and availability of line-pow-
 ered voice services. Without unreasonably exposing customers' personally
 identifiable  information  in  a manner that violates the public service
 law, department of public service practices or federal law, reports from
 such covered provider shall include, but not be limited to  the  follow-
 ing:
   a. the number of customers who receive line-powered voice services;
   b. the number of customers that were notified by the company that they
 would  be  switched from line-powered voice service to fiber optic based
 service, despite customers' requests to  remain  on  line-powered  voice
 service;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09936-02-3

 S. 5343--A                          2
 
   c.  the  number  and  location of service areas where both the company
 informed customers that the customer's line-powered voice service  shall
 be  discontinued  and  where  customers also did not have the ability to
 switch to fiber based service at the time of such notification;
   d.  the  number  of  customers who requested or attempted to return to
 line-powered voice service  after  being  moved  to  fiber  optic  based
 service by the covered provider; and
   e.  the  number  of customers receiving line-powered voice service who
 were refused quality resolution  or  service  repair  and  were  instead
 advised to switch to fiber optic based service for reliable service from
 the covered provider.
   3.  Each    covered  provider  shall publish on its website the report
 required pursuant to subdivision one  of  this  section,  simultaneously
 with the submission of such report. The reports shall include the infor-
 mation  required  pursuant  to this section in a spreadsheet format. The
 department of public service shall provide meaningful opportunities  for
 public comment from all persons who will be impacted by the reports. The
 public hearings shall also be available virtually.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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