Bill Text: NJ A2066 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires public utilities to provide priority service to public schools, private schools, and public safety agencies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [A2066 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A2066-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOE HOWARTH
District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public utilities to provide priority service to public schools, private schools, and public safety agencies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act requiring public utilities to provide priority service to public schools, private schools, and public safety agencies, and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A public utility shall maintain a unique customer service telephone number for a public school, private school, and public safety agency to contact the public utility, as determined by the board.
b. A public utility shall maintain a personnel department consisting of technicians, customer service representatives, managerial employees, and other employees devoted to giving priority service to a public school, private school, and public safety agency, as determined by the board.
c. As used in this section:
"Board" means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
"Public safety agency" means a functional division of the State, or any political subdivision thereof, which dispatches or provides law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical services, or other emergency services.
"Public school" and "private school" shall have the same meaning as provided in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
"Public utility" shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S.48:2-13.
2. a. A local exchange telecommunications company shall not discontinue service to a public school, private school, or public safety agency that is in the process of changing local exchange telecommunications companies until the new local exchange telecommunications company certifies that the change has occurred and the service is operational, as determined by the board.
b. As used in this section:
"Board" means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
"Local exchange telecommunications company" shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2 of P.L.1991, c.428 (C.48:2-21.17).
"Public safety agency" means a functional division of the State, or any political subdivision thereof, which dispatches or provides law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical services, or other emergency services.
"Public school" and "private
school" shall have the same meaning as provided for in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
The bill requires a public utility to maintain a unique customer service telephone number for public schools, private schools, and public safety agencies to contact the public utility, as determined by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (board). Further, a public utility is to maintain a personnel department consisting of technicians, customer service representatives, managerial employees, and other employees devoted to giving priority service to public schools, private schools, and public safety agencies, as determined by board. The term "public utility" includes companies that are regulated by the board which provide electric, gas, and water and sewer service. A "public safety agency" is defined to mean a functional division of the State, or any political subdivision thereof, which dispatches or provides law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical services, or other emergency services.
The bill provides that a local exchange telecommunications company is prohibited from discontinuing service to a public school, private school, or public safety agency that is in the process of changing local exchange telecommunications companies until the new local exchange telecommunications company certifies that the change has occurred and the service is operational, as determined by the board. Under the bill, "local exchange telecommunications company" is defined to mean a telecommunications carrier regulated by the board and authorized by the board to provide local telecommunications services.
