What's happening
This bill requires manufacturers to sell voice dialing telephone equipment at cost to eligible visually-impaired New Yorkers and mandates service providers notify customers of this availability.
Why it matters
Expands accessibility for low-income, visually-impaired residents. by specifically tying eligibility to those who meet New York’s lifeline program income criteria, ensuring that the benefit targets those most in need rather than all visually-impaired individuals.
Requires manufacturers to offer equipment at cost, limiting profit. and potentially lowering financial barriers for eligible consumers, but it may also influence how manufacturers price, market, or even supply these devices in New York.
Mandates proactive notification by all telephone service providers. (including cable companies and others) to ensure customers are aware of this benefit, increasing the likelihood that eligible individuals actually access the equipment.
Aims to reduce isolation and improve independence. for visually-impaired New Yorkers by facilitating easier access to essential communication technology in their homes, which can have downstream effects on safety, emergency readiness, and quality of life.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Phones for Disabled
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4926
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 3, 2017
Introduced by Sens. DIAZ, HAMILTON, LATIMER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to providing telephone equipment with voice dialing functions to certain persons with disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 399-zz-1 to read as follows:
§ 399-zz-1. Residential voice dialing telephone equipment. 1. For the purposes of this section: (a) "voice dialing telephone equipment" shall mean customer premises equipment such as telephone handsets, designed for use on the residential premises of a visually-impaired person to originate, route or terminate a telephone call;
(b) "Consumer" or "purchaser" shall mean: (i) a certified visually-impaired retail customer who purchases such equipment for personal use in a place of residence where the addition of such equipment is necessary to enable such consumer to make a telephone call and that (ii) meets the income eligibility requirements for the New York lifeline program; and
(c) "Seller" shall mean any retailer, distributor or manufacturer who sells or offers for sale residential voice dialing telephone equipment directly to a consumer or purchaser or places in the chain of distribution such equipment to be ultimately sold to a consumer.
2. Any manufacturer of residential voice dialing telephone equipment shall offer for sale such equipment to consumers, as defined in this section, at an amount not to exceed the actual cost of manufacturing the equipment.
§ 2. Every telephone corporation, as defined in section 2 of the public service law, and every cable television company, as defined in section 212 of public service law and any other provider of telephone
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07306-01-7
S. 4926 2
service that provides telephone service to customers in New York state shall provide notice to its customers that voice dialing telephone equipment is available from manufacturers at cost.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to providing telephone equipment with voice dialing functions to certain persons with disabilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would update provisions of the Public Service Law to reflect technological advances in adaptive telecommunications equipment.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends the General Business Law by adding a new section 399- zz-1. Defines voice dialing telephone equipment, consumer, purchaser, and seller. Any manufacturer or residential voice dialing telephone equipment shall offer for sale such equipment to consumers, as defined in this section, at an amount not to exceed the actual cost of manufacturing the equipment.
Section 2. Every telephone corporation, as defined by section 2 of the Public Service Law, and every cable television company, as defined in section 212 of Public Service Law and any other provider of telephone service that provides telephone service to customers in New York state shall provide notice to its customers that voice dialing telephone equipment is available from manufactures at cost.
Section 3. Effective Date
Existing law
The current law is based on decades-old and outdated technology, only certain services for the hearing impaired (TTY, statewide relay service) are considered to be needed to enable people with disabilities to access telecommunications.
Justification
The provisions of the PSL addressing adaptive telecommunications equipment have not remained current with technological advances. This became apparent in 2005, when local telephone service providers discontinued voice dialing equipment that is relied upon by people with visual impairments without any formal review process.
Since the 1970's, there have been numerous advances in adaptive equipment technology. People with disabilities can benefit from amplified phones, screen readers - even phones that can be dialed by puffing through a straw. This bill will make it easier for people with disabilities to stay connected at home and work and will bring the PSL's treatment of adaptive technology into the 21st century. Except for voice dialing, the legislation does not specify particular technologies, but allows the PSC to periodically update the list of necessary adaptive technologies by adopting regulations.
Prior legislative history
2016: S.467-REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION 2015: S.467- REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION 2014: S.863 - Referred to Consumer Protection 2013: S.863 - Referred to Consumer Protection/A.671 - Enacting Clause Stricken 2012: S.298 - Referred to Consumer Protection/ A.2226 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions 2011: S.298 - Reported and Committed to Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business/A.2226 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions 2009-10: S.30968 - Amend and Recommit to Energy and Telecommunications/A.8110A - Amend and Recommit to Corporations, Author- ities and Commissions 2007-08: S.759 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications/A.2105 Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions 2005-06: S.6418 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications/A.8029 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect 180 Days after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.