A 4556: Relates to providing residents of municipal public housing in the state with free basic cable and high-speed internet service, and reimbursing internet service providers and cable television companies for providing such service.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4556 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM, FORREST, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to providing free high-speed internet and cable service to residents of municipal hous- ing authorities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 2 231 to read as follows: 3 § 231. Empire connect. 1. For the purposes of this section, the term 4 "high-speed internet service" shall mean internet service of at least 5 100 mbps download and at least 10 mbps upload. 6 2. Each internet service provider and cable television company that 7 provides service to customers within a municipality shall provide basic 8 high-speed internet service and cable service to each residential dwell- 9 ing or unit in a multiple dwelling, as defined by section three of the 10 public housing law, that is owned or managed by a municipal public hous- 11 ing authority, as defined by section three of the public housing law. 12 The fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers of 13 internet service providers or cable television companies and shall not 14 be added to bills rendered by an internet service provider or cable 15 television company to such customers. 16 3. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate 17 the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to the 18 following: 19 (a) rules and regulations to apportion the responsibility of each 20 internet service provider and cable television company in the event that 21 a municipality has authorized more than one internet service provider or 22 cable television company to operate within the geographic area of such 23 municipality; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05743-01-5 
 A. 4556 2 1 (b) rules and regulations to ensure such compliance by such internet 2 service providers and cable television companies with the provisions of 3 this section. 4 4. No internet service provider or cable television company shall 5 assign or transfer liability for its obligations under this section to 6 any other person, business, entity, or organization, or contract for any 7 other person, business, entity, or organization to perform such internet 8 service provider's or cable television company's duties under this 9 section without the prior written consent of the commission. 10 5. (a) The commission shall establish and manage a cable and high- 11 speed internet service abatement fund to provide reimbursement to inter- 12 net service providers and cable television companies for cable and high- 13 speed internet service provided pursuant to subdivision two of this 14 section. 15 (b) The commission shall appropriate money as necessary to the fund to 16 reimburse all internet service providers and cable television companies 17 for the costs of providing cable and high-speed internet service pursu- 18 ant to subdivision two of this section. Any federal funds made available 19 for such purpose and any state funds appropriated for cable and high- 20 speed internet service shall be deposited into such fund. 21 (c) The commission shall provide internet service providers and cable 22 television companies with an application to apply for reimbursement 23 payments from the fund. 24 § 2. The article heading of article 11 of the public service law, as 25 added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows: 26 PROVISIONS RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES AND INTERNET 27 SERVICE PROVIDERS 28 § 3. Section 212 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 29 subdivision 15 to read as follows: 30 15. "Internet service provider" shall mean any person, business, enti- 31 ty, or organization qualified to do business in the state that provides 32 individuals, corporations, or other entities with the ability to connect 33 to the internet through equipment that is located in the state. 34 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 35 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 36 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 37 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 38 on or before such effective date.