What's happening
This bill requires providers of unsolicited telephone services to give consumers a toll-free number for information and complaints.
Why it matters
Helps consumers make informed decisions. By requiring a toll-free number, the bill ensures that people who receive unsolicited telephone services can easily get clear information about rates, terms, and conditions—crucial for understanding what they might be agreeing to or being charged for.
Improves consumer protection and complaint resolution. The mandated toll-free line gives consumers a direct, cost-free way to address billing or service complaints, making it harder for providers to evade responsibility and helping individuals resolve issues without incurring extra charges.
Targets potentially predatory business practices. The bill specifically covers services that are offered for free initially but then require payment later, a common tactic in deceptive marketing. By requiring transparency and access to information, it could deter misleading offers and reduce consumer confusion or exploitation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Toll-Free Help Numbers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
104
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring telephone service providers to furnish a toll-free consumer service number for consumers offered unsolicited services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 92-h to read as follows:
§ 92-h. Toll-free consumer service number for consumers offered unsolicited services. Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, company or business offering or providing to a consumer unsolicited telephone services without charge for a specified period of use time or for a specified value of use time by means of a telephone calling card number, account number, electronic serial number or personal identification number when a charge, fee or payment is subsequently required by the consumer for termination or continued use of the unsolicited telephone service shall furnish a toll-free consumer service number to all such consumers which a consumer can use to obtain answers to questions, information on the rates, information on terms or conditions, and for resolution of a billing or service complaint.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01339-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.