What's happening
This bill requires telecommunication companies in New York to block certain fraudulent or invalid phone numbers to reduce unwanted calls.
Why it matters
Targets common sources of robocalls and phone scams. by requiring providers to block calls from numbers that are invalid, unallocated, or not in use, making it harder for scammers to spoof numbers and reach consumers.
Gives subscribers more control. by allowing those who own certain numbers (such as inbound-only lines) to request blocking of outgoing calls that appear to come from their number, helping prevent misuse of their numbers for fraudulent purposes.
Protects critical communications. by ensuring that emergency calls to 911 are never blocked and that subscribers can opt out of call blocking altogether if they wish, balancing fraud prevention with individual choice and public safety.
Aligns state action with federal standards. by requiring that any call-blocking measures are consistent with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, ensuring legal compliance and technological consistency across providers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Block Illegal Robocall Numbers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
42 Co-sponsors
- Marianne Buttenschon
- Charles Lavine
- Steven Englebright
- John T. McDonald III
- Steven Cymbrowitz
- Anthony D'Urso
- Judy Griffin
- Richard Gottfried
- Carmen E. Arroyo
- Jeffrey Dinowitz
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Steve Stern
- Catalina Cruz
- Kenneth Zebrowski
- Marcos Crespo
- William Colton
- Jose Rivera
- Patrick Burke
- Donna Lupardo
- Kimberly Jean-Pierre
- Fred Thiele
- Karl Brabenec
- Michael Montesano
- Colin Schmitt
- Kevin M. Byrne
- Mike Reilly
- Andrew Raia
- Robert Smullen
- David McDonough
- Vivian Cook
- Walter T. Mosley
- Sandy Galef
- Nader Sayegh
- Felix Ortiz
- Karines Reyes
- Mark Walczyk
- Alicia Hyndman
- Thomas Abinanti
- Barbara Lifton
- David Buchwald
- Yuh-Line Niou
- Steven Otis
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Print number 2230a
- Amend and recommit to consumer affairs and protection
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Block Scam Phone Numbers
In Senate Committee · Consumer Protection · Sponsor Todd Kaminsky
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2230--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, BUTTENSCHON, LAVINE, ENGLEBRIGHT, McDO- NALD, CYMBROWITZ, D'URSO, GRIFFIN, GOTTFRIED, ARROYO, DINOWITZ, JAFFEE, STERN, CRUZ, ZEBROWSKI, CRESPO, COLTON, RIVERA, BURKE, LUPAR- DO, JEAN-PIERRE, THIELE, BRABENEC, MONTESANO, SCHMITT, BYRNE, REILLY, RAIA, SMULLEN, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to telecommunication companies blocking certain numbers
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-z-1 to read as follows:
§ 399-z-1. Telecommunication companies blocking certain numbers. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
a. "caller identification information" means information provided by a caller identification service regarding the telephone number and the name of the person calling;
b. "caller identification service" means a service that allows a telephone subscriber to have the telephone number, and, where available, name of the calling party transmitted contemporaneously with the telephone call, and displayed on a device in or connected to the subscriber's telephone;
c. "pooling administrator" means the thousands-block pooling administrator as identified in 47 C.F.R. § 52.20; and
d. "provider" means a telecommunication company that provides voice communications services to customers in this state.
2. Consistent with authorization provided by federal law and rules of the federal communications commission or its successors:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01125-02-9
A. 2230--A 2
a. providers shall block a voice call when the subscriber to which the originating number is assigned has requested that calls purporting to originate from that number be blocked because the number is used for inbound calls only; and
b. providers shall block calls originating from the following numbers:
(i) a number that is not a valid North American numbering plan number;
(ii) a valid North American numbering plan number that is not allocated to a provider by the North American numbering plan administrator or the pooling administrator; and
(iii) a valid North American numbering plan number that is allocated to a provider by the North American number plan administrator or pooling administrator, but is unused, so long as the provider blocking the calls is the allocatee of the number and confirms that the number is unused or has obtained verification from the allocatee that the number is unused at the time of the blocking.
c. providers shall not block a voice call if the call is an emergency call placed to 911.
d. providers shall not block a voice call to a subscriber who has requested that no inbound calls be blocked.
3. For purposes of blocking calls from certain originating numbers as authorized in this section, a provider may rely on caller identification service information to determine the originating number.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.