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A3743Assembly2019-2020 SessionSame asS1620

Let Third Parties Get Bills

Official title

“Authorizes utility corporations, telegraph and telephone corporations, and cable television corporations to provide notice of bills to third parties”

Sponsor Nily RozicAD-25+7 co-sponsorsAffects Economy
Status
In Assembly Committee
Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions

What's happening

This bill allows utility and telecommunications customers to designate a third-party to receive billing and service termination notices.

Why it matters

  1. Helps protect vulnerable individuals. By allowing customers to designate a third party to receive billing and service termination notices, the bill can help those who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise at risk avoid unintended loss of essential services due to missed communications or confusion about bills.

  2. Improves oversight and support. Family members, caregivers, or social service organizations can monitor utility and telecom accounts for signs of financial trouble, fraud, or neglect, enabling earlier intervention before service disruption or debt escalation occurs.

  3. Offers safeguards for tenants and landlords. The bill enables landlords and tenants, by mutual agreement, to designate a third party for notifications about service discontinuance, which could prevent misunderstandings and ensure essential services are maintained in rental units.

  4. Extends consumer rights across more services. By amending both utility and telecommunications laws, the bill broadens consumer protections to cover a wider range of essential household services, reflecting the increasing importance of connectivity as a basic need.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Let Third Parties Get Bills

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Nily Rozic

Assembly Member · Assembly District 25

Chair, Consumer Affairs and Protection

History

  1. Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
  2. Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

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.

S1620Senate

Allow Third-Party Bill Notices

In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker

Impact 4 · Low0% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

3743

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 31, 2019

Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC, COLTON, JAFFEE, PERRY, RIVERA, CAHILL, L. ROSENTHAL, GALEF -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GIGLIO, GLICK, GOTTFRIED, LUPARDO, PEOPLES-STOKES, ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

AN ACT to amend the public service law and the general business law, in relation to third party notification

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 40 of the public service law, as amended by chapter 631 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:

§ 40. Voluntary third-party [notice prior to termination of service] notification. 1. Every utility corporation or municipality shall permit a residential customer to designate a third-party to receive notice of the total amount due or past due on all bills, the amounts of any payments paid by or on behalf of such residential customer, and copies of all notices relating to termination of service [or] and notices relating to collection of amounts due sent to such residential customer, provided that the designated third-party indicates in writing a willingness to receive such notices.

2. Every utility corporation or municipality shall permit a landlord, upon written request of both the landlord and tenant, to designate a third-party to be notified of all requests for discontinuance of service to units owned by such landlord.

§ 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 393-f to read as follows:

§ 393-f. Voluntary third-party notification. 1. Every telegraph or telephone corporation, cable television corporation, cellular phone company, or municipality shall permit a residential customer to designate a third-party to receive notice of the total amount due or past due on all bills, the amounts of any payments paid by or on behalf of such residential customer, and copies of all notices relating to termination

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD01300-01-9

A. 3743 2

of service and notices relating to collection of amounts due sent to such residential customer, provided that the designated third-party indicates in writing a willingness to receive such notices.

2. Every telegraph or telephone corporation, cable television corporation, cellular phone company, or municipality shall permit a landlord, upon written request of both the landlord and tenant, to designate a third-party to be notified of all requests for discontinuance of service to units owned by such landlord.

§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.

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.