NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5548

Senate Bill S5548

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring free internet service in households with students who live at or below the poverty level

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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to energy and telecommunications
Mar 08, 2023	referred to energy and telecommunications

2023-S5548 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd Art 11 Art Head, add §224-d, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S9057
2021-2022: S4017

2023-S5548 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires free internet service in households with students who live at or below the poverty level; directs broadband companies to install and/or upgrade broadband services in educational facilities.

2023-S5548 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5548

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring free
internet service in households with students who live at or below the
poverty level

 
PURPOSE:

This bill will ensure that every student has reliable internet access.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends the article heading of article 11 of the public
service law.

Section two adds a new section 224-c to require broadband service compa-
nies provide free internet to any household where any elementary or
secondary student resides and where the income of such household is at
or below the poverty level, as per local poverty indicators.  Further-

more, without charge, broadband service companies will have to identify
and install, refurbish, or strengthen broadband system/network in all
educational buildings including, but not limited to schools, libraries,
daycare centers, and community centers.

Section three establishes that the act shall take effect on the one
hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.

 
EXISTING LAW:

N/A.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Many students lack internet access to study remotely from home. In New
York City, 1.5 Million residents lack broadband connection, and the
Ideal comptroller's office found that 44% of residents in poverty lacked
broadband access. Effort must be made to provide internet access to
students without means and to do so without imposing any further finan-
cial difficulty.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022; S4017

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
One hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.

2023-S5548 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5548
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the public service law, in relation to requiring free
   internet service in households with students who live at or below  the
   poverty level

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  The article heading of article 11 of  the  public  service
 law,  as  added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as
 follows:
             PROVISIONS RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES
                      AND INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
   § 2. The public service law is amended by adding  a new section  224-d
 to read as follows:
   §  224-D.  INTERNET  SERVICE  TO STUDENTS. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION THE TERM "BROADBAND SERVICE" SHALL  MEAN  A  MASS-MARKET  RETAIL
 SERVICE  THAT  PROVIDES  THE  CAPABILITY TO TRANSMIT DATA TO AND RECEIVE
 DATA FROM ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL  INTERNET  ENDPOINTS,  INCLUDING  ANY
 CAPABILITIES  THAT  ARE  INCIDENTAL  TO  AND ENABLE THE OPERATION OF THE
 COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE, BUT SHALL NOT INCLUDE DIAL-UP SERVICE.
   2. ANY COMPANY THAT PROVIDES  BROADBAND  SERVICE  SHALL  PROVIDE  FREE
 INTERNET  SERVICE  TO  ANY HOUSEHOLD IN WHICH AN ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY
 STUDENT RESIDES WHERE THE INCOME OF SUCH HOUSEHOLD IS AT  OR  BELOW  THE
 POVERTY LEVEL AS ESTABLISHED BY LOCAL INDICATORS.
   3. ALL COMPANIES WHICH PROVIDE BROADBAND SERVICES IN THIS STATE SHALL,
 FOR  FREE  WITH  NO COST OR CHARGE, IDENTIFY AND INSTALL, REFURBISH, AND
 STRENGTHEN  BROADBAND  SYSTEM/NETWORK  CONNECTIONS  IN  ALL  EDUCATIONAL
 BUILDINGS  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, DAYCARE
 CENTERS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03752-01-3
 S. 5548                             2

 
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment,  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the imple-
 mentation of this act on its effective date are authorized  to  be  made
 and completed on or before such effective date.

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