Senate Bill S485

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Directs establishment and administration of a statewide program for telephone access for all New Yorkers, including the hearing and visually impaired

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2011-S485 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §91-b, amd §18-a, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2009-2010 Legislative Session:
S431

2011-S485 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of public service to implement a program assuring access to telephone service for all New Yorkers, including but not limited to the hearing and visually impaired; provides for the use of assistive telecommunications devices or adaptive equipment; directs local service companies to bear their proportionate share of the costs.

2011-S485 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2011-S485 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   485

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 5, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
  cations

AN  ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to telephone access
  for all New Yorkers

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
91-b to read as follows:
  S 91-B. TELEPHONE ACCESS FOR ALL NEW YORKERS. 1. THE COMMISSION  SHALL
ESTABLISH  AND  ADMINISTER A STATEWIDE PROGRAM TO DISTRIBUTE, AT NO COST
TO THE RECIPIENTS, ASSISTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES TO  PERSONS  WHO
ARE  DEAF,  HARD OF HEARING, SEVERELY SPEECH IMPAIRED, OR DEAF-BLIND, OR
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT TO PERMIT THE USE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT  TO
PERSONS WITH OTHER PHYSICAL DISABILITIES SO THAT TELEPHONE SERVICE SHALL
BE MADE GENERALLY AVAILABLE TO ALL DISABLED PERSONS IN THE STATE.
  2.  IN  ORDER  TO  BE  ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ASSISTIVE TELECOMMUNICATION
DEVICES OR ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT, INDIVIDUALS MUST BE AT LEAST  FIVE  YEARS
OLD  AND  MUST  BE  CERTIFIED AS HAVING THE DISABILITY THAT REQUIRES THE
PARTICULAR ASSISTIVE TELECOMMUNICATION  DEVICES  OR  ADAPTIVE  EQUIPMENT
REQUESTED  BY  THE  INDIVIDUAL  BY  A PERSON OR AGENCY AUTHORIZED BY THE
COMMISSION TO MAKE SUCH CERTIFICATIONS. SUCH PERSONS SHALL  INCLUDE  BUT
NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO PHYSICIANS, AUDIOLOGISTS, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOL-
OGISTS, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELORS, OR OTHER QUALIFIED PROFES-
SIONALS WITHIN THE AREA OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS.
  3.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS SECTION, AN INDIVIDUAL
WHO IS HEARING IMPAIRED TO A DEGREE THAT THE ONLY ASSISTIVE TELECOMMUNI-
CATION DEVICES REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS WOULD  BE
AN  AMPLIFIER,  AMPLIFIED TELEPHONE, AN AUDIBLE SIGNALING DEVICE, OR ANY
COMBINATION THEREOF THAT ARE READILY AVAILABLE ON THE RETAIL MARKET AT A

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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