A 5548 — "Automatic Utility and Communications Service Credit Act"; requires certain telecommunications utilities to provide credits for service outages of longer than three hours.

Summary

Automatic Utility & Communications Service Credit Act-concerns

Bill Text

• Introduced View text Current html September 25, 2026

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 3 section(s) of the New Jersey statutes: N.J.S.A. 48:5A-11a; N.J.S.A. 48:2-21.19; N.J.S.A. 48:2-21.20.

• N.J.S.A. 48:5A-11a

  The which The , this section → Prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the that Prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the this subsection c. After the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the director, with the approval of the board, shall adopt rules and regulations providing for a credit for complete outages of cable television service that are three or more hours in duration. The amount of the credit shall be in one day units, prorated at one thirtieth of the subscriber's monthly bill for every three hours of complete outage of cable television service. The cable television company shall automatically apply the credit on the subscriber's next bill statement. d. As used in this section, "complete outage" means a total interruption of cable television service that prevents the subscriber from using the cable television service for the service's intended purpose. "Complete outage" does not include outages due to non-emergency inclement weather, subscriber equipment failure, subscriber nonpayment, scheduled maintenance with advance notice to the subscriber, and acts of war or terrorism. e. It shall be considered an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for a cable television company to fail to apply bill credits as established in subsection c. of this section for their respective subscribers that have experienced a complete outage of cable television service for three or more hours in duration. f. In addition to any legal or equitable relief pursuant to subsection e. of this section, a cable television company, who violates the provisions of this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of $1,000 per affected subscriber and up to $25,000 per each instance of complete outage, which shall be collected by the board in a summary proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 48:2-21.19

  , is authorized to what shall have the authority to it it such that which it which its which , and . → subsections e. through h. of this section, may which may the board the board , the that the board to the contrary that the company's that ; and (5) the local exchange telecommunications company shall provide a bill credit to a customer that experienced a complete outage of service for three or more hours in duration, which bill credit shall be prorated at one thirtieth of the customer's monthly bill for every three hours of complete outage of service and shall be automatically applied to the customer's next bill statement. f. As used in this section, "complete outage" means a total interruption of service that prevents the customer from using the service for the service's intended purpose. "Complete outage" does not include outages due to non-emergency inclement weather, customer equipment failure, customer nonpayment, scheduled maintenance with advance notice to the customer, and acts of war or terrorism. g. It shall be considered an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for a local exchange telecommunications company to fail to apply bill credits as established in this section, for the company's respective customers that have experienced a complete outage of service for three or more hours in duration. h. In addition to any legal or equitable relief pursuant to subsection g. of this section, a local exchange telecommunications company who violates the provisions of paragraph (5) of subsection e. of this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of $1,000 per affected customer and up to $25,000 per each instance of complete outage, which shall be collected by the board in a summary proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 48:2-21.20

  this act → P.L.1991, c.428 (C.48:2-21.19) e. The board shall require an interexchange telecommunications carrier to provide a bill credit to a customer that experienced a complete outage of service for three or more hours in duration, which bill credit shall be prorated at one thirtieth of the customer's monthly bill for every three hours of complete outage of service and shall be automatically applied to the customer's next bill statement. f. As used in this section, "complete outage" means a total interruption of service that prevents the customer from using the service for the service's intended purpose. "Complete outage" does not include outages due to non-emergency inclement weather, customer equipment failure, customer nonpayment, scheduled maintenance with advance notice to the customer, and acts of war or terrorism. g. It shall be considered an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for an interexchange telecommunications carrier to fail to apply bill credits as established in this section, for the carrier's respective customers that have experienced a complete outage of service for three or more hours in duration. h. In addition to any legal or equitable relief pursuant to subsection g. of this section, an interexchange telecommunications carrier who violates the provisions of subsection e. of this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of $1,000 per affected customer and up to $25,000 per each instance of complete outage, which shall be collected by the board in a summary proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

  amended

Action History

1. September 24, 2026

   INT 1RA REF ATU

Sponsors

• Kenyatta Stewart · Primary
• William B. Sampson · Primary
• Al Abdelaziz · Primary

Subjects