State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Pbs > Article-5 > 92

§  92.  Rate  schedules.  1.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and every  telephone corporation shall print and file with the commission schedules  showing all rates, rentals and charges for service  of  each  and  every  kind  by  or over its line between points in this state and between each  point upon its line and all points upon every line leased or operated by  it and between each point upon its line  or  upon  any  line  leased  or  operated  by  it  and all points upon the line of any other telegraph or  telephone corporation whenever a through service  or  joint  rate  shall  have  been  established  between any two points. If no joint rate over a  through line has been  established  the  several  corporations  in  such  through  line  shall file with the commission the separately established  rates and charges applicable where through  service  is  afforded.  Such  schedule  shall  plainly  state  the  places  between which telephone or  telegraph service, or both,  will  be  rendered  and  shall  also  state  separately  all  charges  and  all  privileges  or facilities granted or  allowed and any rules or regulations or forms of contract which  may  in  any  wise change, affect or determine any or the aggregate of the rates,  rentals or charges for the service  rendered.  Such  schedule  shall  be  plainly printed and kept open to public inspection. The commission shall  have the power to prescribe the form of every such schedule and may from  time  to  time  prescribe,  by  order,  changes in the form thereof. The  commission shall also have power to establish rules and regulations  for  keeping  such  schedules  open to public inspection and may from time to  time  modify  the  same.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and   telephone  corporation  shall file with the commission as and when required by it a  copy of any contract, agreement or arrangement in writing with any other  telegraph  corporation  or  telephone  corporation  or  with  any  other  corporation,   association   or  person  relating  in  any  way  to  the  construction, maintenance or use of a telegraph line or  telephone  line  or  service by or rates and charges over or upon any such telegraph line  or telephone line.    2. (a) No change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental, or joint  rate, charge or rental applicable to regulated basic services,  switched  carrier  access  services,  charges  for  interconnection  between local  exchange carriers, and toll services within a local access and transport  area which shall have been filed by a telegraph corporation or telephone  corporation  hereinafter  in  this  subdivision  called  a  utility   in  compliance  with  this  chapter, except after thirty days' notice to the  commission and to each county, city, town and  village  served  by  such  utility which had filed with such utility within the prior twelve months  a  request  for  such  notice  and  shall be affected by such change and  publication of a notice to the public of such proposed  change  once  in  each  week  for  four  successive  weeks  in  a newspaper having general  circulation in each county containing territory affected by the proposed  change. No other change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental,  or  joint  rate,  charge  or  rental  filed  by  a utility, except after ten  business days' notice to the commission and publication of one notice at  least ten business days prior to the effective date of the change  in  a  newspaper of general circulation in each county affected by the proposed  change.  Such  notices  shall plainly state the changes proposed and the  time when they go into  effect.  For  the  purpose  of  this  paragraph,  "regulated  basic  services"  are  defined  as:  residential, individual  business, and public access line network access, connection charges  for  such  network access, local usage, local coin usage rates, tone dialing,  access  to  emergency  services,  statewide  relay  services,   operator  assistance  services,  director  listings,  and  provisions  that affect  privacy protections.(b) All proposed changes shall be shown by  filing  new  schedules  or  shall  be plainly indicated upon the schedules filed and in force at the  time and kept open to public inspection. The commission, for good  cause  shown, may, except in the case of major changes, allow changes in rates,  charges  or  rentals  to take effect prior to the end of such thirty-day  period or such ten-day period and without publication of notice  to  the  public under such conditions as it may prescribe. All such changes shall  be  immediately  indicated  upon  its  schedules  by  such  utility. The  commission may delegate to the secretary of the commission its authority  to approve a change to a schedule postponing the effective date of  such  schedule  previously  filed with the commission and for good cause shown  to allow the postponement to take  effect  prior  to  the  end  of  such  thirty-day period or ten-day period and without publication of notice to  the public.    (c) For the purpose of this subdivision, "major changes" shall mean an  increase  in  rates,  charges  and  rentals  which  would  increase  the  aggregate revenues of the applicant  more  than  the  greater  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  or  two  and one-half percent, but shall not  include changes in rates, charges or rentals allowed to go  into  effect  by  the  commission  or  made by the utility pursuant to an order of the  commission after hearings held upon notice to the public.    (d) No utility shall charge, demand, collect or  receive  a  different  compensation  for any service rendered or to be rendered than the charge  applicable as specified in its schedule on file and in effect. Nor shall  any utility refund or remit directly or indirectly any  portion  of  the  rate  or  charge  so  specified,  nor  extend  to any person any form of  contract or agreement, or any rule or regulation, or  any  privilege  or  facility,  except  such  as  are  specified in its schedule filed and in  effect and regularly and uniformly extended to all  persons  under  like  circumstances for the like or substantially similar service.    (e)  Whenever there shall be filed with the commission by any utility,  any schedule stating a new rate or charge, or any change in any form  of  contract  or  agreement  or any rule or regulation relating to any rate,  charge or  service,  or  in  any  general  privilege  or  facility,  the  commission  may  at  any  time within sixty days from the date when such  schedule would or has become effective, either upon  complaint  or  upon  its own initiative, and, if it so orders, without answer or other formal  pleading  by  the  utility,  but  upon reasonable notice, hold a hearing  concerning the propriety of a change proposed by  the  filing.  If  such  change  is  a  major  change  the  commission shall hold such a hearing.  Pending such hearing and decision thereon, the commission,  upon  filing  with such schedule and delivering to the utility, a statement in writing  of its reasons therefor, may suspend the operation of such schedule, but  not for a longer period than one hundred and twenty days beyond the time  when  it  would  otherwise  go  into effect. After full hearing, whether  completed before or after it goes into effect, the commission  may  make  such order in reference thereto as would be proper in a proceeding begun  after the rate, charge, form of contract or agreement, rule, regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility has become effective.. If such  hearing cannot be concluded within the period  of  suspension  as  above  stated,  the  commission may extend the suspension for a further period,  not exceeding six months. The commission may, as authorized  by  section  ninety-seven  of  this  article,  establish  temporary rates, charges or  rentals, for any period of suspension under this section.    (f) At any hearing involving a change or a proposed change  of  rates,  the  burden  of  proof  to  show  that  the change or proposed change if  proposed by the utility, or that the existing rate, if it is proposed to  reduce the rate, is just and reasonable shall be upon the  utility;  andthe  commission  may  give to the hearing and decision of such questions  preference over all other questions pending before it.    (g)  During  the  suspension  by the commission as above provided, the  schedule,  rates,  charges,  form  of  contract  or   agreement,   rule,  regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility in force when the  suspended schedule, rate, charge, form of  contract,  rule,  regulation,  service, general privilege or facility was filed shall continue in force  unless the commission shall establish a temporary rate.    3.  No  telegraph  corporation or telephone corporation subject to the  provisions of this chapter shall, directly or indirectly, give any  free  or  reduced  service,  or any free pass or frank for the transmission of  messages by either telephone or telegraph  between  points  within  this  state,  except to its officers, employees, agents, pensioners, surgeons,  physicians,  attorneys-at-law  and  their  families;   to   persons   or  corporations exclusively engaged in charitable and eleemosynary work and  ministers  of  religions;  to  officers and employees of other telegraph  corporations  and  telephone  corporations,  railroad  corporations  and  street  railroad  corporations.  But this subdivision shall not apply to  state, municipal or federal contracts.    3-a. Notwithstanding the  provisions  of  subdivision  three  of  this  section, the division of military and naval affairs, in cooperation with  the  office  of  general  services,  shall  negotiate  with  a telephone  corporation or telephone corporations for  the  provision  of  telephone  service at bulk rates to residents of this state in military service, as  defined  in  section  three  hundred  one of the military law, and their  families, which shall include spouses, domestic partners, children,  and  parents and such others as meet criteria established by the division.    4.  The  commission shall require each telephone corporation providing  local exchange service in the state to provide with any application  for  a  major  rate  change, as defined in subdivision two of this section, a  statement of the effect the proposed rate change is expected to have  on  the  goal  of universal service to residential customers. The commission  may require such a statement with respect to any other application for a  rate change and shall specifically consider any such  statement  in  its  rate determination.    5.  (a)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivision three of this  section, the commission may authorize a telephone corporation  to  offer  free  or reduced basic service for a limited period of time to introduce  a present or potential customer to a service not previously received  by  the customer.    (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivisions one and three of  this section, a telephone corporation may offer free or reduced services  other than basic services for a period of time to be determined  by  the  telephone  corporation  to a new customer or to an existing customer for  the purpose of inducing the customer to maintain such services.    6. The commission shall provide that any net decrease in  a  telephone  corporation's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of  a  chapter  of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-seven phasing out the  taxation of certain property subject to such  tax  shall  inure  to  the  benefit of the ratepayers of such corporation.    7.  The  commission shall provide that any net decrease in a telephone  company's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of the  chapter of the laws of nineteen hundred  ninety-five  which  added  this  subdivision  shall  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  ratepayers of such  company.

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Pbs > Article-5 > 92

§  92.  Rate  schedules.  1.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and every  telephone corporation shall print and file with the commission schedules  showing all rates, rentals and charges for service  of  each  and  every  kind  by  or over its line between points in this state and between each  point upon its line and all points upon every line leased or operated by  it and between each point upon its line  or  upon  any  line  leased  or  operated  by  it  and all points upon the line of any other telegraph or  telephone corporation whenever a through service  or  joint  rate  shall  have  been  established  between any two points. If no joint rate over a  through line has been  established  the  several  corporations  in  such  through  line  shall file with the commission the separately established  rates and charges applicable where through  service  is  afforded.  Such  schedule  shall  plainly  state  the  places  between which telephone or  telegraph service, or both,  will  be  rendered  and  shall  also  state  separately  all  charges  and  all  privileges  or facilities granted or  allowed and any rules or regulations or forms of contract which  may  in  any  wise change, affect or determine any or the aggregate of the rates,  rentals or charges for the service  rendered.  Such  schedule  shall  be  plainly printed and kept open to public inspection. The commission shall  have the power to prescribe the form of every such schedule and may from  time  to  time  prescribe,  by  order,  changes in the form thereof. The  commission shall also have power to establish rules and regulations  for  keeping  such  schedules  open to public inspection and may from time to  time  modify  the  same.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and   telephone  corporation  shall file with the commission as and when required by it a  copy of any contract, agreement or arrangement in writing with any other  telegraph  corporation  or  telephone  corporation  or  with  any  other  corporation,   association   or  person  relating  in  any  way  to  the  construction, maintenance or use of a telegraph line or  telephone  line  or  service by or rates and charges over or upon any such telegraph line  or telephone line.    2. (a) No change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental, or joint  rate, charge or rental applicable to regulated basic services,  switched  carrier  access  services,  charges  for  interconnection  between local  exchange carriers, and toll services within a local access and transport  area which shall have been filed by a telegraph corporation or telephone  corporation  hereinafter  in  this  subdivision  called  a  utility   in  compliance  with  this  chapter, except after thirty days' notice to the  commission and to each county, city, town and  village  served  by  such  utility which had filed with such utility within the prior twelve months  a  request  for  such  notice  and  shall be affected by such change and  publication of a notice to the public of such proposed  change  once  in  each  week  for  four  successive  weeks  in  a newspaper having general  circulation in each county containing territory affected by the proposed  change. No other change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental,  or  joint  rate,  charge  or  rental  filed  by  a utility, except after ten  business days' notice to the commission and publication of one notice at  least ten business days prior to the effective date of the change  in  a  newspaper of general circulation in each county affected by the proposed  change.  Such  notices  shall plainly state the changes proposed and the  time when they go into  effect.  For  the  purpose  of  this  paragraph,  "regulated  basic  services"  are  defined  as:  residential, individual  business, and public access line network access, connection charges  for  such  network access, local usage, local coin usage rates, tone dialing,  access  to  emergency  services,  statewide  relay  services,   operator  assistance  services,  director  listings,  and  provisions  that affect  privacy protections.(b) All proposed changes shall be shown by  filing  new  schedules  or  shall  be plainly indicated upon the schedules filed and in force at the  time and kept open to public inspection. The commission, for good  cause  shown, may, except in the case of major changes, allow changes in rates,  charges  or  rentals  to take effect prior to the end of such thirty-day  period or such ten-day period and without publication of notice  to  the  public under such conditions as it may prescribe. All such changes shall  be  immediately  indicated  upon  its  schedules  by  such  utility. The  commission may delegate to the secretary of the commission its authority  to approve a change to a schedule postponing the effective date of  such  schedule  previously  filed with the commission and for good cause shown  to allow the postponement to take  effect  prior  to  the  end  of  such  thirty-day period or ten-day period and without publication of notice to  the public.    (c) For the purpose of this subdivision, "major changes" shall mean an  increase  in  rates,  charges  and  rentals  which  would  increase  the  aggregate revenues of the applicant  more  than  the  greater  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  or  two  and one-half percent, but shall not  include changes in rates, charges or rentals allowed to go  into  effect  by  the  commission  or  made by the utility pursuant to an order of the  commission after hearings held upon notice to the public.    (d) No utility shall charge, demand, collect or  receive  a  different  compensation  for any service rendered or to be rendered than the charge  applicable as specified in its schedule on file and in effect. Nor shall  any utility refund or remit directly or indirectly any  portion  of  the  rate  or  charge  so  specified,  nor  extend  to any person any form of  contract or agreement, or any rule or regulation, or  any  privilege  or  facility,  except  such  as  are  specified in its schedule filed and in  effect and regularly and uniformly extended to all  persons  under  like  circumstances for the like or substantially similar service.    (e)  Whenever there shall be filed with the commission by any utility,  any schedule stating a new rate or charge, or any change in any form  of  contract  or  agreement  or any rule or regulation relating to any rate,  charge or  service,  or  in  any  general  privilege  or  facility,  the  commission  may  at  any  time within sixty days from the date when such  schedule would or has become effective, either upon  complaint  or  upon  its own initiative, and, if it so orders, without answer or other formal  pleading  by  the  utility,  but  upon reasonable notice, hold a hearing  concerning the propriety of a change proposed by  the  filing.  If  such  change  is  a  major  change  the  commission shall hold such a hearing.  Pending such hearing and decision thereon, the commission,  upon  filing  with such schedule and delivering to the utility, a statement in writing  of its reasons therefor, may suspend the operation of such schedule, but  not for a longer period than one hundred and twenty days beyond the time  when  it  would  otherwise  go  into effect. After full hearing, whether  completed before or after it goes into effect, the commission  may  make  such order in reference thereto as would be proper in a proceeding begun  after the rate, charge, form of contract or agreement, rule, regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility has become effective.. If such  hearing cannot be concluded within the period  of  suspension  as  above  stated,  the  commission may extend the suspension for a further period,  not exceeding six months. The commission may, as authorized  by  section  ninety-seven  of  this  article,  establish  temporary rates, charges or  rentals, for any period of suspension under this section.    (f) At any hearing involving a change or a proposed change  of  rates,  the  burden  of  proof  to  show  that  the change or proposed change if  proposed by the utility, or that the existing rate, if it is proposed to  reduce the rate, is just and reasonable shall be upon the  utility;  andthe  commission  may  give to the hearing and decision of such questions  preference over all other questions pending before it.    (g)  During  the  suspension  by the commission as above provided, the  schedule,  rates,  charges,  form  of  contract  or   agreement,   rule,  regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility in force when the  suspended schedule, rate, charge, form of  contract,  rule,  regulation,  service, general privilege or facility was filed shall continue in force  unless the commission shall establish a temporary rate.    3.  No  telegraph  corporation or telephone corporation subject to the  provisions of this chapter shall, directly or indirectly, give any  free  or  reduced  service,  or any free pass or frank for the transmission of  messages by either telephone or telegraph  between  points  within  this  state,  except to its officers, employees, agents, pensioners, surgeons,  physicians,  attorneys-at-law  and  their  families;   to   persons   or  corporations exclusively engaged in charitable and eleemosynary work and  ministers  of  religions;  to  officers and employees of other telegraph  corporations  and  telephone  corporations,  railroad  corporations  and  street  railroad  corporations.  But this subdivision shall not apply to  state, municipal or federal contracts.    3-a. Notwithstanding the  provisions  of  subdivision  three  of  this  section, the division of military and naval affairs, in cooperation with  the  office  of  general  services,  shall  negotiate  with  a telephone  corporation or telephone corporations for  the  provision  of  telephone  service at bulk rates to residents of this state in military service, as  defined  in  section  three  hundred  one of the military law, and their  families, which shall include spouses, domestic partners, children,  and  parents and such others as meet criteria established by the division.    4.  The  commission shall require each telephone corporation providing  local exchange service in the state to provide with any application  for  a  major  rate  change, as defined in subdivision two of this section, a  statement of the effect the proposed rate change is expected to have  on  the  goal  of universal service to residential customers. The commission  may require such a statement with respect to any other application for a  rate change and shall specifically consider any such  statement  in  its  rate determination.    5.  (a)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivision three of this  section, the commission may authorize a telephone corporation  to  offer  free  or reduced basic service for a limited period of time to introduce  a present or potential customer to a service not previously received  by  the customer.    (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivisions one and three of  this section, a telephone corporation may offer free or reduced services  other than basic services for a period of time to be determined  by  the  telephone  corporation  to a new customer or to an existing customer for  the purpose of inducing the customer to maintain such services.    6. The commission shall provide that any net decrease in  a  telephone  corporation's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of  a  chapter  of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-seven phasing out the  taxation of certain property subject to such  tax  shall  inure  to  the  benefit of the ratepayers of such corporation.    7.  The  commission shall provide that any net decrease in a telephone  company's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of the  chapter of the laws of nineteen hundred  ninety-five  which  added  this  subdivision  shall  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  ratepayers of such  company.

State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Pbs > Article-5 > 92

§  92.  Rate  schedules.  1.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and every  telephone corporation shall print and file with the commission schedules  showing all rates, rentals and charges for service  of  each  and  every  kind  by  or over its line between points in this state and between each  point upon its line and all points upon every line leased or operated by  it and between each point upon its line  or  upon  any  line  leased  or  operated  by  it  and all points upon the line of any other telegraph or  telephone corporation whenever a through service  or  joint  rate  shall  have  been  established  between any two points. If no joint rate over a  through line has been  established  the  several  corporations  in  such  through  line  shall file with the commission the separately established  rates and charges applicable where through  service  is  afforded.  Such  schedule  shall  plainly  state  the  places  between which telephone or  telegraph service, or both,  will  be  rendered  and  shall  also  state  separately  all  charges  and  all  privileges  or facilities granted or  allowed and any rules or regulations or forms of contract which  may  in  any  wise change, affect or determine any or the aggregate of the rates,  rentals or charges for the service  rendered.  Such  schedule  shall  be  plainly printed and kept open to public inspection. The commission shall  have the power to prescribe the form of every such schedule and may from  time  to  time  prescribe,  by  order,  changes in the form thereof. The  commission shall also have power to establish rules and regulations  for  keeping  such  schedules  open to public inspection and may from time to  time  modify  the  same.  Every  telegraph  corporation  and   telephone  corporation  shall file with the commission as and when required by it a  copy of any contract, agreement or arrangement in writing with any other  telegraph  corporation  or  telephone  corporation  or  with  any  other  corporation,   association   or  person  relating  in  any  way  to  the  construction, maintenance or use of a telegraph line or  telephone  line  or  service by or rates and charges over or upon any such telegraph line  or telephone line.    2. (a) No change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental, or joint  rate, charge or rental applicable to regulated basic services,  switched  carrier  access  services,  charges  for  interconnection  between local  exchange carriers, and toll services within a local access and transport  area which shall have been filed by a telegraph corporation or telephone  corporation  hereinafter  in  this  subdivision  called  a  utility   in  compliance  with  this  chapter, except after thirty days' notice to the  commission and to each county, city, town and  village  served  by  such  utility which had filed with such utility within the prior twelve months  a  request  for  such  notice  and  shall be affected by such change and  publication of a notice to the public of such proposed  change  once  in  each  week  for  four  successive  weeks  in  a newspaper having general  circulation in each county containing territory affected by the proposed  change. No other change shall be made in any rate, charge or rental,  or  joint  rate,  charge  or  rental  filed  by  a utility, except after ten  business days' notice to the commission and publication of one notice at  least ten business days prior to the effective date of the change  in  a  newspaper of general circulation in each county affected by the proposed  change.  Such  notices  shall plainly state the changes proposed and the  time when they go into  effect.  For  the  purpose  of  this  paragraph,  "regulated  basic  services"  are  defined  as:  residential, individual  business, and public access line network access, connection charges  for  such  network access, local usage, local coin usage rates, tone dialing,  access  to  emergency  services,  statewide  relay  services,   operator  assistance  services,  director  listings,  and  provisions  that affect  privacy protections.(b) All proposed changes shall be shown by  filing  new  schedules  or  shall  be plainly indicated upon the schedules filed and in force at the  time and kept open to public inspection. The commission, for good  cause  shown, may, except in the case of major changes, allow changes in rates,  charges  or  rentals  to take effect prior to the end of such thirty-day  period or such ten-day period and without publication of notice  to  the  public under such conditions as it may prescribe. All such changes shall  be  immediately  indicated  upon  its  schedules  by  such  utility. The  commission may delegate to the secretary of the commission its authority  to approve a change to a schedule postponing the effective date of  such  schedule  previously  filed with the commission and for good cause shown  to allow the postponement to take  effect  prior  to  the  end  of  such  thirty-day period or ten-day period and without publication of notice to  the public.    (c) For the purpose of this subdivision, "major changes" shall mean an  increase  in  rates,  charges  and  rentals  which  would  increase  the  aggregate revenues of the applicant  more  than  the  greater  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  or  two  and one-half percent, but shall not  include changes in rates, charges or rentals allowed to go  into  effect  by  the  commission  or  made by the utility pursuant to an order of the  commission after hearings held upon notice to the public.    (d) No utility shall charge, demand, collect or  receive  a  different  compensation  for any service rendered or to be rendered than the charge  applicable as specified in its schedule on file and in effect. Nor shall  any utility refund or remit directly or indirectly any  portion  of  the  rate  or  charge  so  specified,  nor  extend  to any person any form of  contract or agreement, or any rule or regulation, or  any  privilege  or  facility,  except  such  as  are  specified in its schedule filed and in  effect and regularly and uniformly extended to all  persons  under  like  circumstances for the like or substantially similar service.    (e)  Whenever there shall be filed with the commission by any utility,  any schedule stating a new rate or charge, or any change in any form  of  contract  or  agreement  or any rule or regulation relating to any rate,  charge or  service,  or  in  any  general  privilege  or  facility,  the  commission  may  at  any  time within sixty days from the date when such  schedule would or has become effective, either upon  complaint  or  upon  its own initiative, and, if it so orders, without answer or other formal  pleading  by  the  utility,  but  upon reasonable notice, hold a hearing  concerning the propriety of a change proposed by  the  filing.  If  such  change  is  a  major  change  the  commission shall hold such a hearing.  Pending such hearing and decision thereon, the commission,  upon  filing  with such schedule and delivering to the utility, a statement in writing  of its reasons therefor, may suspend the operation of such schedule, but  not for a longer period than one hundred and twenty days beyond the time  when  it  would  otherwise  go  into effect. After full hearing, whether  completed before or after it goes into effect, the commission  may  make  such order in reference thereto as would be proper in a proceeding begun  after the rate, charge, form of contract or agreement, rule, regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility has become effective.. If such  hearing cannot be concluded within the period  of  suspension  as  above  stated,  the  commission may extend the suspension for a further period,  not exceeding six months. The commission may, as authorized  by  section  ninety-seven  of  this  article,  establish  temporary rates, charges or  rentals, for any period of suspension under this section.    (f) At any hearing involving a change or a proposed change  of  rates,  the  burden  of  proof  to  show  that  the change or proposed change if  proposed by the utility, or that the existing rate, if it is proposed to  reduce the rate, is just and reasonable shall be upon the  utility;  andthe  commission  may  give to the hearing and decision of such questions  preference over all other questions pending before it.    (g)  During  the  suspension  by the commission as above provided, the  schedule,  rates,  charges,  form  of  contract  or   agreement,   rule,  regulation,  service,  general  privilege  or facility in force when the  suspended schedule, rate, charge, form of  contract,  rule,  regulation,  service, general privilege or facility was filed shall continue in force  unless the commission shall establish a temporary rate.    3.  No  telegraph  corporation or telephone corporation subject to the  provisions of this chapter shall, directly or indirectly, give any  free  or  reduced  service,  or any free pass or frank for the transmission of  messages by either telephone or telegraph  between  points  within  this  state,  except to its officers, employees, agents, pensioners, surgeons,  physicians,  attorneys-at-law  and  their  families;   to   persons   or  corporations exclusively engaged in charitable and eleemosynary work and  ministers  of  religions;  to  officers and employees of other telegraph  corporations  and  telephone  corporations,  railroad  corporations  and  street  railroad  corporations.  But this subdivision shall not apply to  state, municipal or federal contracts.    3-a. Notwithstanding the  provisions  of  subdivision  three  of  this  section, the division of military and naval affairs, in cooperation with  the  office  of  general  services,  shall  negotiate  with  a telephone  corporation or telephone corporations for  the  provision  of  telephone  service at bulk rates to residents of this state in military service, as  defined  in  section  three  hundred  one of the military law, and their  families, which shall include spouses, domestic partners, children,  and  parents and such others as meet criteria established by the division.    4.  The  commission shall require each telephone corporation providing  local exchange service in the state to provide with any application  for  a  major  rate  change, as defined in subdivision two of this section, a  statement of the effect the proposed rate change is expected to have  on  the  goal  of universal service to residential customers. The commission  may require such a statement with respect to any other application for a  rate change and shall specifically consider any such  statement  in  its  rate determination.    5.  (a)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivision three of this  section, the commission may authorize a telephone corporation  to  offer  free  or reduced basic service for a limited period of time to introduce  a present or potential customer to a service not previously received  by  the customer.    (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of subdivisions one and three of  this section, a telephone corporation may offer free or reduced services  other than basic services for a period of time to be determined  by  the  telephone  corporation  to a new customer or to an existing customer for  the purpose of inducing the customer to maintain such services.    6. The commission shall provide that any net decrease in  a  telephone  corporation's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of  a  chapter  of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-seven phasing out the  taxation of certain property subject to such  tax  shall  inure  to  the  benefit of the ratepayers of such corporation.    7.  The  commission shall provide that any net decrease in a telephone  company's real property tax expense resulting from the provisions of the  chapter of the laws of nineteen hundred  ninety-five  which  added  this  subdivision  shall  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  ratepayers of such  company.