Provides that municipal broadband service companies are authorized to provide broadband service to tenants in multi-family housing

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8131

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                       May 1, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to broadband service
          in multi-family housing

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1.  Section 228 of the public service law, as added by chapter
     2  83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 228. Landlord-tenant relationship. 1. No landlord shall  (a)  inter-
     4  fere  with  the installation of cable television facilities OR MUNICIPAL
     5  BROADBAND SERVICE upon [his] THEIR property or premises, except  that  a
     6  landlord may require:
     7    (1)  that the installation of cable television facilities OR MUNICIPAL
     8  BROADBAND SERVICE conform to such reasonable conditions as are necessary
     9  to protect the safety, functioning and appearance of the  premises,  and
    10  the convenience and well being of other tenants;
    11    (2)  that  the cable television OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company
    12  or the tenant or a combination thereof  bear  the  entire  cost  of  the
    13  installation, operation or removal of such facilities; and
    14    (3)  that  the cable television OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company
    15  agree to indemnify the landlord for any damage caused by  the  installa-
    16  tion, operation or removal of such facilities.
    17    (b) demand or accept payment from any tenant, in any form, in exchange
    18  for  permitting  cable television service OR MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE
    19  on or within [his] THEIR property or premises, or from any  cable  tele-
    20  vision  OR  MUNICIPAL  BROADBAND SERVICE company in exchange therefor in
    21  excess of any amount which the commission shall, by  regulation,  deter-
    22  mine to be reasonable; or
    23    (c)  discriminate  in rental charges or otherwise, between tenants who
    24  receive cable television service  OR  MUNICIPAL  BROADBAND  SERVICE  and
    25  those who do not.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11579-01-5
        A. 8131                             2

     1    2. Rental agreements and leases executed prior to January first, nine-
     2  teen hundred seventy-three may be enforced notwithstanding this section.
     3    3.  No  cable  television  OR  MUNICIPAL BROADBAND SERVICE company may
     4  enter into any agreement with the owners, lessees or persons controlling
     5  or managing buildings served by a cable television OR  MUNICIPAL  BROAD-
     6  BAND  SERVICE  company,  or  do  or  permit any act, that would have the
     7  effect, directly or indirectly of diminishing or interfering with exist-
     8  ing rights of any tenant or other occupant of such building  to  use  or
     9  avail [himself] THEMSELF of master or individual antenna equipment.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.