Bill Text: NY A01064 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes investigation, hearing and determination procedures for the public service commission with respect to the creation of new area codes; appoints administrative law judge to decide the need for additional area codes; provides possible alternatives.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-01-06 - ordered to third reading cal.95 [A01064 Detail]
Download: New_York-2009-A01064-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1064 2009-2010 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y (PREFILED) January 7, 2009 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DESTITO -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the establishment of investigation, hearing and determination procedures with respect to the creation of new area codes THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. Telephone numbering 2 resources are limited and at times it may be necessary, as more numbers 3 and local exchange codes are utilized, to create new area codes. Area 4 code changes are a major burden because new area codes cause confusion 5 to callers and potential safety issues when hospitals, ambulances, and 6 public health and safety institutions are required to change their tele- 7 phone numbers; the records for E911, which include telephone numbers, 8 need to be changed when area codes change; errors in record changes can 9 result in serious health, safety, and welfare concerns; and the accuracy 10 of telephone numbers is a security issue if contacts are not reachable 11 because of outdated area codes on old contact lists. 12 The legislature finds that businesses suffer economic harm when their 13 area codes are changed if they are required to advertise the new 14 numbers, contact existing customers, and revise all stationery showing 15 their new telephone number, and they face the possibility of losing 16 business during area code transition periods when customers use an old 17 number. 18 The legislature further finds that greater regulatory vigilance is 19 needed to ensure that numbers or exchange codes do not become unneces- 20 sarily stranded due to inadvertent oversupply of numbering resources 21 where they are not really needed. 22 S 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 96-a to 23 read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03879-01-9 A. 1064 2 1 S 96-A. INVESTIGATION, HEARING, AND DETERMINATIONS REGARDING NUMBER 2 CONSERVATION, NUMBER RESOURCE RECLAMATION, AND CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNA- 3 TIVES PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW AREA CODES. 1. IT IS HEREBY 4 DECLARED TO BE THE POLICY OF THE STATE, AND IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH, 5 WELFARE, AND PUBLIC INTEREST, TO AVOID UNNECESSARY TELEPHONE AREA CODE 6 CHANGES THROUGH CONSERVATION OF NUMBERING RESOURCES AND RECLAMATION OF 7 UNDERUTILIZED NUMBERING RESOURCES. 8 2. THE COMMISSION SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS FOR CONSERVATION OF NUMBER- 9 ING RESOURCES AND FOR RECLAMATION OF UNDERUTILIZED NUMBERING RESOURCES. 10 3. PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING ANY NEW AREA CODE, THE COMMISSION SHALL: 11 A. CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER NUMBER CONSERVATION 12 POLICIES AND RULES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED, WHETHER FOR ANY REASON NUMBERING 13 RESOURCES ARE OVERSUPPLIED IN ANY AREAS WHERE THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO 14 MEET LOCAL NEEDS, AND IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING WHETHER REALLO- 15 CATION AND RECLAMATION OF NUMBERING RESOURCES, INCLUDING EXCHANGE CODES, 16 COULD MEET NEEDS WITH LESS COST AND INCONVENIENCE THAN CREATION OF A NEW 17 AREA CODE. 18 B. APPOINT AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE TO HOLD PUBLIC EVIDENTIARY 19 HEARINGS, HEAR EVIDENCE REGARDING THE NEED FOR A NEW AREA CODE, ANY 20 OVERSUPPLY OF NUMBERING RESOURCES, AND EVIDENCE REGARDING ALTERNATIVES 21 SUCH AS REALLOCATION OF EXISTING RESOURCES, AND ISSUE A RECOMMENDED 22 DECISION WHICH ADDRESSES THE NEED FOR A NEW AREA CODE AND CONSIDERS THE 23 COMPARATIVE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF RECLAIMING UNDERUTILIZED EXCHANGE 24 CODES WITH THE COST AND BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING A NEW AREA CODE. 25 S 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to any 26 pending commission proceedings regarding creation of new area codes.