Bill Text: NY S03260 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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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 (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS [S03260 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S03260-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3260
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 13, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  GRIFFO -- 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 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   11  because of outdated area codes on old contact lists.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
       S. 3260                             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.