NY state lawmaker introduces net neutrality bill

New York State Assemblymember Patricia Fahy (D) is pushing a bill in an effort to protect the principles of net neutrality in her state in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) vote to repeal the popular Obama-era regulations.

According to Fast Company, Fahy has introduced a short piece of legislation that would prohibit state, county and city authorities from doing business with internet service providers that engage in business practices that were prohibited by the net neutrality rules, like blocking or throttling web content or making websites buy into internet “fast lanes.”

“If you are going to be a contractor and want to work with New York, then you must meet the principles,” Fahy told the magazine.

{mosads}Last week, the FCC, led by Republican Chairman Ajit Pai, voted 3-2 along party lines to roll back the net neutrality rules. Pai’s proposal eliminates the restrictions on broadband companies like Comcast and Verizon and preempts states from implementing their own protections.

But Fahy says that her bill gets around the preemption since it doesn’t lay out rules for internet service providers.

“There’s a decent amount of precedent for saying, if you want a state contract, you have to meet such and such requirements,” she said.