If your cable goes out, it's likely the only way you're getting money back for the lost service is by calling up and asking for it — as long as you can actually get in touch with a human being.

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But under legislation expected to be considered by the full Assembly on Monday, you'd no longer have to lift a finger.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, requires that cable television companies issue subscribers a monetary credit, rebate, or other form of compensation for a service outage that lasts for at least six hours, whether you've notified the company or not.

The compensation must be issued within 30 days of the outage, the bill states.

"We shouldn't have to ask for a credit, but oftentimes we do," said Dena Mottola Jaborska, associate director of New Jersey Citizen Action. "Getting through to your cable company is a real heartache, so anything that makes it easier ... is a good thing."

Mottola Jaborska calls the legislation a "no-brainer."

A spokesperson for Verizon did not comment on the legislation but said the company is constantly monitoring their network and proactively getting in front of potential service issues. Still, customers should always notify the company any time there's an outage so the problem can be rectified.

A vote on the bill by the Assembly was originally scheduled for Thursday, but the session was canceled due to inclement weather.

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.

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