The New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) is a former

government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...

of the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

that was responsible for protecting, educating and representing consumers. On March 31, 2011, Part A of Chapter 62 of the Laws of 2011 merged the CPB into the

New York State Department of State The New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) is the department of the New York state government under the leadership of the Secretary of State of New York.Executive Law § 90. "There shall be in the state government a department of state. The h ...

(NYSDOS) creating a new Division of Consumer Protection.

Organization

The three main divisions of the Consumer Protection Board were: *Outreach and Program Development Bureau creates education programs and brochures for consumers about issues including credit card usage,

home improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was co ...

and Internet safety. The bureau's Consumer Assistance Unit handles over 20,000 complaints a year relating to consumer issues. *Counsel, Policy and Research Bureau oversees the agency's legal functions, including enforcement of the state's Do not call law. In 2006, the Board added 1.3 million resident phone numbers to the

United States National Do Not Call Registry The National Do Not Call Registry is a database maintained by the United States federal government, listing the telephone numbers of individuals and families who have requested that telemarketers not contact them. Certain callers are required by f ...

and reached settlements with 58 telemarketers in response to

consumer complaint A consumer complaint or customer complaint is "an expression of dissatisfaction on a consumer's behalf to a responsible party" (London, 1980). It can also be described in a positive sense as a report from a consumer providing documentation about ...

s, collecting over $350,000 in fines. *Utility, Telecommunications and New Technologies Bureau represents consumers before the

New York State Public Service Commission The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Ser ...

regarding utility performance and rate issues, and accepts complaints about the

Long Island Power Authority Long Island Power Authority (LIPA, "lie-pah") is a municipal subdivision of the State of New York that owns the electric transmission and electric distribution system serving all of Long Island and a portion of New York City known as the Rocka ...

History

The CPB was established in 1970 under legislation signed by then-Governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

Betty Furness Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator. Early years Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness ...

, a former Hollywood actress who had served as special assistant for consumer affairs to President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

, was named as the Board's first chairman and executive director. Furness served in the position until July 1971, resigning after complaints about the lack of serious attention to her recommendations by the

New York Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official t ...

Richard Kessel Richard M. Kessel (born c. 1950) is a power industry executive who was formerly President and chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority, the largest state-owned public utility company in the United States. Kessel started as a consumer ...

served as Executive Director of the CPB from 1983 to 1995, where he negotiated rate freeze agreements with

Consolidated Edison Consolidated Edison, Inc., commonly known as Con Edison (stylized as conEdison) or ConEd, is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues as of 2017, and over $62 b ...

Niagara Mohawk Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation was a New York State utility company, which was acquired in 2000 by National Grid plc. The Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation designation was retired, using variations of NationalGridUS (such as National Grid Buffa ...

and other electric and telephone utilities, which Kessel estimated saved consumers $1 billion.

Merger

On March 31, 2011, Part A of Chapter 62 of the Laws of 2011 merged the former New York State Consumer Protection Board into the

creating a new Division of Consumer Protection. Consumers can find useful information, alerts and tools by visiting www.dos.ny.gov.

References

External links

Official website

State Consumer Protection Board
in the

New York Codes, Rules and Regulations The ''New York Codes, Rules and Regulations'' (NYCRR) contains New York state rules and regulations. The NYCRR is officially compiled by the New York State Department of State's Division of Administrative Rules. Contents See also * ''New York ...

{{Authority control Government agencies established in 1970 2011 disestablishments in New York (state) Consumer Protection Board