Provides regulatory control of Internet service providers by the public service commission, requires Internet neutrality and relates to the placement of…

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Kristen Gonzalez says this is needed

On December 14, 2017, the U.S. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal the open Internet and "network neutrality" rules formally established in 2015, but with roots stemming back to 2005. The underlying purpose of net neutrality is that all content on the internet should be treated equally. Without it, broadband providers which control access to the Internet can block or throttle certain services or applications for their own profit and distort what content a consumer can freely access. The Internet is now at risk of falling victim to the whims of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) managing and manipulating content and content speeds. Where the Federal government fails, it is necessary for the states to step in and provide a platform for innovation and free expression, while protecting consumers and spurring the economy. Net neutrality has become enshrined as a core principle to free speech and to the health of democ- racy. In a world in which the Internet is considered to be the "great equalizer," an open Internet allows for the creation of a platform for expanded discourse, greater access to information and the ability of the disenfranchised to organize. Infringing on net neutrality is antitheti- cal to democracy itself, as it gives control over content to large special interests rather than to the people. Further, net neutrality allows for innovation, the proliferation of small businesses, and private-sector job creation. Thus, this is an issue that goes to our core values as Americans-that of free speech and the American economic dream. It is now incumbent on states, like New York, to restore an open and free internet. This bill is modeled after California's net neutrality bill Senate Bill 822 of 2018, which has been heralded as the strongest and most comprehensive net neutrality legis- lation in the nation. The bill will effectively codify all of the protections established by the 2015 FCC Order. By doing so this fully restores the protections all Americans have come to rely upon and ensures that they will have them into the future. If both New York and California re-establish net neutrality, it would send a strong signal that the nation's largest states and economies intend to ensure that their residents are protected. The internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity in every area of American life ranging from education to public safety. The states must act to protect its free and open access.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.