S 4110: Requires telephone companies to disclose information to subscribers regarding the backup power solution for their voice service equipment.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4110 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 3, 2025 ___________ 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 tele- phone companies to disclose information to subscribers regarding the backup power solution for their voice service equipment; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof 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 2 104-b to read as follows: 3 § 104-b. Corporation disclosure obligation concerning backup power 4 solutions. 1. At minimum annually, every regulated telephone corpo- 5 ration which has provided a current subscriber with a backup power 6 solution for a facilities-based, fixed voice service offered as residen- 7 tial service that is not line powered, provided by such corporation, 8 shall provide such subscriber with either a written notice or, if the 9 subscriber has elected, an electronic notice, disclosing the following 10 information: 11 (a) service limitations with and without backup power; 12 (b) purchase and replacement information, including cost; 13 (c) expected backup power duration; 14 (d) proper usage and storage conditions, including the impact on dura- 15 tion of backup power life if failing to adhere to proper usage and stor- 16 age conditions; 17 (e) suggestions on how to maximize backup power during a prolonged 18 power outage; and 19 (f) subscriber backup power self-testing and self-monitoring 20 instructions. 21 Such notice shall be sent to the subscriber separately from the month- 22 ly billing statements or invoice. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05357-01-5 
 S. 4110 2 1 2.(a) The commission may promulgate rules and regulations adding addi- 2 tional requirements for the content of the disclosure as required in 3 subdivision one of this section. 4 (b) The commission shall further promulgate rules and regulations 5 regarding the form of the written notice in order to promote readability 6 by requiring that the notice: 7 (1) be written in a clear and coherent manner; 8 (2) be written in at least eleven-point font size; and 9 (3) wherever practicable, use words with common and everyday meanings. 10 3. The commission shall establish procedures to assure, to the fullest 11 extent practicable, that residential subscribers receiving fixed voice 12 service from one telephone corporation, but using a backup power 13 solution provided by a different telephone corporation, shall receive 14 the notice required by this section, or a similar notice detailing the 15 information required by this section, from one of the providers. 16 4. The disclosure required by 47 CFR 9.20(d) may satisfy the notice 17 requirement of subdivision one of this section, provided it complies 18 with the commission's rules and regulations regarding format as required 19 by paragraph (b) of subdivision two of this section. 20 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 21 law and shall expire and be deemed repealed September 1, 2027.