Provides consumer protections under certain telecommunications service provider contracts.

S3829

SENATE, No. 3829

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides consumer protections under certain
telecommunications service provider contracts.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning certain telecommunications service provider contracts and
supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1).

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �Telecommunications service�
or �service� means the provision of cable television service, telephone service
using any telephony other than wireless telephone service, or Internet access
service, when provided individually or, in combination with any of the
aforementioned services, through the means of a service contract or other
similar agreement with a telecommunications service provider and a
telecommunications service subscriber.

���� �Telecommunications service
provider� or �provider� means any person providing telecommunications service.

���� �Telecommunications service
subscriber� or �subscriber� means any person to whom telecommunications service
is provided or any person who has agreed with a provider to pay obligations
arising from the provision of telecommunications service to another person.

���� 2.��� Notwithstanding any law,
rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, if a telecommunications service
subscriber experiences and reports to the subscriber�s telecommunications
service provider a telecommunications service outage occurring more than three times
in any 30-day period, the provider:

���� a.���� shall not impose upon
the subscriber any early termination, cancellation, or any otherwise applicable
fee or charge in connection with the subscriber�s election to terminate service
with the provider prior to the expiration of the service contract or other
similar agreement;

���� b.��� shall refund to the
subscriber any applicable fee or charge paid by the subscriber for establishing
or activating service with the provider; and

���� c.���� shall refund to the
subscriber an amount equal to the amount of any early termination,
cancellation, or any otherwise applicable fee or charge paid by the subscriber
for terminating service with the subscriber�s previous provider prior to the
expiration of the service contract or other similar agreement with the
subscriber�s previous provider.� A subscriber requesting a refund under this
subsection shall submit to the provider a copy of the statement of payment to
the subscriber�s previous provider as acceptable evidence that the early
termination or cancellation fee or charge was paid.

���� 3.��� A telecommunications
service provider shall keep a record of the dates of all telecommunications
service outages experienced and reported to the provider by each of its
subscribers and shall transmit to each subscriber that has experienced a
service outage occurring more than three times in any 30-day period a notice of
that situation as an acknowledgement that the subscriber is eligible for the
relief provided for in section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 4.��� A violation of P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be an
unlawful practice subject to the penalties applicable pursuant to section 1 of
P.L.1966, c.39 (C.56:8-13) and section 2 of P.L.1999, c.129 (C.56:8-14.3).

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall be applicable to new service contracts or other
similar agreements entered into, or existing service contracts or other similar
agreements renewed, on or after the effective date of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill imposes certain
obligations on a provider of cable television service, telephone service using
any telephony other than wireless telephone service, or Internet access
service, that provides these services individually or, in combination with any
of the aforementioned services, via a contract or service agreement with a
subscriber.

���� Specifically, if a subscriber
of the aforementioned service or services (subscriber) experiences and reports
to the provider of the service or services (provider) a service outage
occurring more than three times in any 30-day period, the provider: 1) is prohibited
from imposing any early termination, cancellation, or any otherwise applicable
fee or charge on the subscriber for terminating service with the provider prior
to the expiration of the service contract; 2) is to refund to the subscriber
any applicable fee or charge paid by the subscriber for establishing or
activating service with the provider; and 3) is to refund to the subscriber the
amount of any early termination, cancellation, or any otherwise applicable fee
or charge that the subscriber paid for terminating service with the
subscriber�s previous provider.� A subscriber requesting a refund of the charge
for terminating service with the subscriber�s previous provider is required to
submit to the provider a copy of the statement of payment to the subscriber�s
previous provider as acceptable evidence that the fee or charge was paid.

���� The bill requires providers to
keep a record of the dates of all telecommunications service outages that its
subscribers have reported to the provider and to notify each subscriber that
has experienced a service outage occurring more than three times in any 30-day
period of that situation.

���� Any violation of the
provisions of this bill is to be deemed an unlawful practice subject to the
penalties applicable pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1966, c.39 (C.56:8-13) and
section 2 of P.L.1999, c.129 (C.56:8-14.3).