What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring annual inspections of manholes, service box covers and utility poles
Purpose
This bill requires the annual inspection of manholes, service box covers and utility poles.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the public service law by adding a new section 73. It requires that every gas and electric corporation annually inspect their manholes, service box covers and utility poles to determine if there is voltage present in them.
The gas and electric corporations shall keep records of the examination and make them available for public inspection.
Failure to comply with any of these provisions shall result in a civil penalty up to $1,000 for the first violation and up to an additional $2,000 for each succeeding violation occurring within a one year period.
Section 2 enacts this bill on the thirtieth day after it shall become law.
Justification
Early this year (January and February 2004), Con Edison found several "hot spots" citywide - manholes and service box covers charged with electricity ranging up to 130 volts. An electric shock from 50 volts of electricity is enough to disrupt a person's heart beat with as little as one second of contact. Death may result after minutes of contact. Manhole covers become electrified due to the corroding of wires from weather conditions compounded by the salt used to melt ice and snow.
This bill seeks to alleviate the fears that our city streets may be unsafe to pedestrian traffic. Utility companies have an obligation to ensure that their utility poles and service boxes are safe for passersby. Shoddy, quick-fix cables and temporary wiring are unacceptable. Annual inspections will require the utility companies to maintain their service boxes properly. Written inspection records will prove that the utility company is complying with its inspection requirements.
City residents must feel confident that the metal plates and manhole covers in their streets are safe. Any future tragedies must be avoided and the utility companies must be held responsible.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.