Bill Text: NJ S1880 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes certain customer protection requirements for cable television customers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S1880 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S1880-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes certain customer protection requirements for cable television customers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning cable television services and amending and supplementing P.L.1972, c.186.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) The board shall adopt rules and regulations establishing a limit to late fees that a cable television company may charge customers of the company for late payment of cable television service bills.
2. (New section) a. When a service call is scheduled by a cable television company to a customer's home, the company shall inform the customer of the period of time in which the service call is scheduled. The maximum period of time in which installations, service calls and related activities are scheduled for a customer shall not exceed a period of more than three hours.
b. If a cable television company representative is unable to keep the appointment with the customer scheduled in accordance with subsection a. of this section, the company shall contact the customer in order to schedule a new appointment at a time which is convenient for the customer.
3. (New section) In the event of a cable television service outage lasting three hours or longer, the cable television company shall credit the customer's bill in the first possible billing cycle, as determined by the board or Office of Cable Television, as appropriate, through regulations, for an amount, prorated on the basis of the customer's monthly cable television service rate, representing the time during which the service is out. Customers shall not be required to notify the cable television company of the service outage in order to receive the credit required by this section.
4. Section 36 of P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-36) is amended to read as follows:
36. a. Each CATV company shall provide safe, adequate, and proper service, equipment, and facilities for the operation of its CATV system.
b. No CATV company shall demand or receive a greater or less or different compensation for providing CATV service than the rates and charges specified in the tariff in effect at the time. In addition to the penalties imposed pursuant to section 51 of P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-51), the board may require a CATV company that violates the provisions of this subsection to provide customers appropriate rebates or credits, with interest.
c. Every CATV company and other person and organization shall obey and comply with every rule and regulation and order adopted or issued by the director or by the board consistent with P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.1972, c.186, s.36)
5. This act shall take effect 180 days following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), to establish a limit on late fees that may be charged by cable television (CATV) companies to customers for late payment of cable television service bills.
The bill also requires a CATV company to schedule service calls within a maximum three hour "appointment window." If the CATV company is unable to keep the scheduled appointment, the CATV company shall re-schedule the appointment at a time convenient to the customer.
The bill further requires CATV companies to grant automatic credits to customers whenever there is a service outage lasting three hours or longer without requiring the customer to notify the CATV company of the outage.
The bill clarifies that any CATV company which receives compensation for providing CATV service other than the charges and rates set forth in the company's tariffs that are in effect at the time, may, in addition to being subject to the penalties in section 51 of P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-51), also be required by the BPU to provide CATV customers appropriate credits and rebates, with interest.
