What's happening
This bill requires utility and telecommunications companies to allow customers to designate a third party to receive billing and service termination notices.
Why it matters
Helps protect vulnerable customers (like seniors or those with disabilities) by allowing a trusted third party (e.g., family member, caregiver, or social worker) to monitor critical billing and shutoff notices, potentially preventing service interruptions due to missed payments or misunderstandings.
Extends third-party notification rights beyond utilities to include telecommunications providers (phone, cable, cellular), broadening consumer protections as households increasingly rely on these essential services for safety, work, and communication.
Gives landlords and tenants a formal mechanism to ensure a third party is informed about discontinuance requests, reducing the risk of unintentional loss of services in rental properties and providing an extra layer of accountability.
Requires explicit written consent from the designated third party, ensuring privacy and that the third party is willing and prepared to assist, which may foster better communication and intervention before crises (like shutoffs or collections) occur.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Third-Party Bill Notices
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
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.
Let Third Parties Get Bills
In Assembly Committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · Sponsor Nily Rozic
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1620
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
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 of service and notices relating to collection of amounts due sent to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01300-01-9
S. 1620 2
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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law and the general business law, in relation to third party notification
Purpose
To offer residential utility, phone and cable customers who have diffi- culty keeping up with their bills, the option of having notice of amounts due, collection attempts, and termination of services sent to a trusted third tarty.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill amends section 40 of the public service law to clarify that third party notification programs already required of util- ities must offer notice of amounts due or past due on routine bills, and the amounts paid by or on behalf of the customer, as well as collection and termination. notices.
Read the full memo (675 words)
Section two ofbill amends the general business law by adding a new section 593-f that will remaire every telegraph and telephone corpo- ration, cable television corporation, cellular phone company, or munici- pality to designate a third party to receive notice of the total amount due or past due on all bills, the amounts of any payments made by or on behalf of the customer, as well as copies of all collection and termi- nation. notices.
Section three of the bill is the effective Cate.
Justification
This legislation will enable customers of utility, phone anal cable services providers to designate a relative, friend, or other trusted third party to receive notice of anoints due or past due on routine bills and amounts paid by or on behalf of the customer, as well as any collection or termination notices. Present statutes only apply to tradi- tional utilities and could be interpreted to require third party notifi cation cnly of collection. and termination notices. This bill uill expand the requirement, both by adding phone and cable service provid- ers, and by clarifying that third party notification programs must offer information about amounts due. and payments of routine bills, as well as collection and termination notices.
We are all cognizant that many people may have difficulty keeping up with bills-because of age, illness, ox other circumstances-even if they are otherwise able to live independently. This legislation will enable eople to obtain the regular assistance of a third party in ensuring that such bills are kept up-to-date, thereby enhancing their independence and making it easier for relatives, friends, and caregivers to offer such assistance.
In addition, this bill recognizes that the services of utilities, phone companies and cable services providers are increasingly converging. For example, cable companies are offering phone and internet services, and utilities and phone companies are working on broadband networks that can carry television programming. As these services continue to converge, they will be more and more likely to offer packages of services that we view an essential for daily living. The legislation would recognize this and ensure that ail providers have the same obligation to offer third party billing on the same terms.
Finally, service providers might benefit from timelier bill payment if this legislation is enacted.
The bill was amended 2003 to place some of the requirements in the general business law rather than the public service law, so that all service providers would be covered equally. In addition, because of privacy concerns, a provision of a previous version of the bill that would have required that full copies of bills be sent to a third party has been changed to require. only that amounts due, past due, and paid h' or on behalf of the customer be sent to the third party, since this information is all that is necessary to assist customers in keeping up with their bills.
Legislative history
2016/17: S.2294 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2015-16: S.2440 A.5794 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2013-14: S.2639/A.3907 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2011-12: S.1112/A.3693 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2009-10: S.4290/A.509 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2008-09: S.7882A/A.10513A - Referred to Rules/Passed Assembly
Fiscal impact on the state
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect ninety days after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.