ASSEMBLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 500

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 3, 2024

      The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 500.

      As amended and reported, this bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to require telecommunications companies and companies that offer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or other Internet-Protocol enabled (IP-enabled) telephone services to provide a bill adjustment or credit, on a prorated basis, to certain customers who experience a service interruption for more than 72 hours.  Under the bill, telecommunications companies are not to require the customer to take any action in order to receive the bill adjustment or credit.

      In the case of companies that offer VoIP or IP-enabled telephone services, a customer is required to notify the company by telephone or in writing within 30 days of a service interruption for a period of more than 72 hours in order to receive a bill adjustment or credit for the service interruption.  For companies offering VoIP or other IP-enabled telephone services, the provision of bill adjustments and credits is limited to residential customers and is not required when a customer’s service interruption occurs during an event that causes significant damage to the electric grid.

      The bill permits the BPU to establish any other exceptions or limitations to the provision of bill adjustments and credits by companies that offer VoIP or IP-enabled telephone services.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to require a customer to notify the provider of VoIP or IP-enabled service within 30 days of a service interruption for a period of more than 72 hours, either by telephone or in writing, in order to receive a bill adjustment or credit for the service interruption, subject to exceptions and limitations as the BPU may provide.  Previously, the bill prohibited a company that offers a VoIP service or IP-enabled service from requiring a residential customer to take any action in order to receive the bill adjustment or credit pursuant to the bill’s provisions.