New York S 4938: Relates to requiring free internet service in households with students who live at or below the poverty level

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S04938 Summary:

BILL NOS04938 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORCOMRIE

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd Art 11 Art Head, add §224-d, Pub Serv L

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Requires free internet service in households with students who live at or below the poverty level; directs broadband companies to install and/or upgrade broadband services in educational facilities.

Go to top S04938 Actions:

BILL NOS04938 

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02/14/2025REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

01/07/2026REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Go to topS04938 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04938 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS04938 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4938

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 14, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- 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 requiring free
 internet service in households with students who live at or below the
 poverty level

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The article heading of article 11 of the public service
 2 law, as added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as
 3 follows:
 4 PROVISIONS RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES
 5 AND INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
 6 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 224-d
 7 to read as follows:
 8 § 224-d. Internet service to students. 1. For the purposes of this
 9 section the term "broadband service" shall mean a mass-market retail
 10 service that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive
 11 data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including any
 12 capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the
 13 communications service, but shall not include dial-up service.
 14 2. Any company that provides broadband service shall provide free
 15 internet service to any household in which an elementary or secondary
 16 student resides where the income of such household is at or below the
 17 poverty level as established by local indicators.
 18 3. All companies which provide broadband services in this state shall,
 19 for free with no cost or charge, identify and install, refurbish, and
 20 strengthen broadband system/network connections in all educational
 21 buildings including, but not limited to, schools, libraries, daycare
 22 centers, and community centers.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD05979-01-5

 S. 4938 2

 1 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 2 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 3 ment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the imple-
 4 mentation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made
 5 and completed on or before such effective date.

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