Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires telephone companies regulated by BPU to mail certain service discontinuance notices via certified, return receipt requested.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain service discontinuance notices sent by certain telephone companies and supplementing chapter 17 of Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. A telephone company providing local exchange telephone service that is regulated by the Board of Public Utilities pursuant to R.S.48:2-13 shall, upon providing notice to a medical service customer of the company’s intention to discontinue service to that medical service customer due to nonpayment of telephone service charges assessed to the medical service customer, mail the discontinuance notice via certified mail, return receipt requested. A telephone company shall not discontinue service to that medical service customer until 30 days after having received a signed confirmation from that medical service customer that the discontinuation notice was received. This requirement shall be in addition to any other condition established by law concerning the discontinuance of local exchange telephone service to customers of any rate class due to nonpayment of telephone service charges assessed to the customer. Each such telephone company shall make a good faith effort to identify those customers who are medical service customers.
As used in this section, “medical service customer” means a public police department, public fire department, public emergency medical service, nursing home, assisted living facility, or physician’s office.
2. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 90 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires telephone companies providing local exchange telephone service that are regulated by the Board of Public Utilities to mail via certified mail, return receipt requested, any proposed discontinuance of service notice to any “medical service customer.” A telephone company shall not discontinue service to medical service customers until 30 days after having received a signed confirmation from those medical service customers that the discontinuation notice was received. This requirement shall be in addition to any other condition established by law concerning the discontinuance of local exchange telephone service to customers of any rate class due to nonpayment of telephone service charges assessed to the customer. Each such telephone company shall make a good faith effort to identify those customers who are medical service customers. The bill defines a “medical service customer” as a public police department, public fire department, public emergency medical service, nursing home, assisted living facility, or physician’s office.