Requires telephone corporations provide on their website information and materials pertaining to victims of domestic violence and opting-out of a bundle telephone contract
This bill amends the Public Service Law to create new protections and information access for victims and survivors of domestic violence who are on shared or bundled telephone contracts. It defines key terms such as “shared telephone line,” “victim of domestic violence,” and “line separation,” and requires telephone corporations to allow a survivor to opt out of a multi-year or bundle contract without fee, penalty, or charge by submitting a written self-attestation. The bill also prohibits carriers from requiring disclosure of confidential details about the abuse, from conditioning release on approval by the primary account holder, and from blocking number portability or separation because of account arrears.
The bill further requires telephone corporations to create a “Domestic Violence Resources” subsection in the support menu of their websites. That webpage must explain the survivor’s options, provide the self-attestation form, give instructions for submitting it online, by mail, in person, or by phone, and include a disclaimer about device location-tracking features. The form may only request limited identifying and account information, plus the survivor’s preference for starting a new account, transferring numbers, or porting out to another carrier. The corporation must process the request within two business days and dispose of submitted information within 30 days in a confidential manner.
The bill would amend sections of the Public Service Law to impose new consumer-protection and disclosure obligations on telephone corporations operating in New York. It would expand the existing domestic-violence-related opt-out framework by shortening the required processing time, limiting documentation demands, and requiring websites to host accessible resources and forms. Affected parties include telephone carriers, survivors of domestic violence, and any household members on shared or bundled phone plans; the bill also interacts with the Safe Connections Act of 2022 and the domestic violence definition in the Social Services Law.
The available context suggests generally supportive sentiment toward the bill’s purpose, as it is framed as a victim-protection measure and was introduced at the request of a member of the Assembly. No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no evidence of recorded opposition or debate in the provided materials. The bill’s structure indicates an emphasis on accessibility, confidentiality, and rapid relief for survivors.
The main points of potential contention are operational and compliance-related rather than ideological. The bill places detailed website, form, and turnaround-time requirements on telephone corporations, which may raise concerns about administrative burden, customer-service implementation, and handling of sensitive information. It also limits carrier discretion by barring requirements for extra documentation, primary-account-holder approval, or restrictions tied to arrears, which could be disputed by providers or account holders in shared-plan arrangements. No specific objections are documented in the provided record.