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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Print number 5696a
- Amend and recommit to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5696A
Title of bill
An act to direct the public service commission to study and report on streamlining orders and actions associated with bills for residential electric, gas, telephone and water customers; and to amend the public service law, in relation to directing the public service commission to develop recommendations for standardized, uniform and easy to understand utility bills
Purpose
This legislation directs the Public Service Commission to streamline orders and actions associated with bills for residential electric, gas, telephone and water customers, and develop recommendations for standardized, uniform and easy to understand utility bills.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Directs the public service commission to study the past orders and actions related to billing messages and determine which messages are no longer relevant. The study shall result in a report with details the related orders and commission actions that are no longer necessary and hinder companies from providing streamline consumer bills.
Section 2: Amends Section 5 of the Public Service Law by adding a subdivision that requires the commission to develop and publish recommendations for utility service providers to improve the billing system by generating bills that are standardized, uniform and easy to understand.
Section 3: Effective date.
Justification
Telephone and utility bills are often confusing, especially for the elderly and those with disabilities. By studying and changing the required billing messages that were developed prior to industry competition, it will likely result in much less confusing bills for residential customers of electric, gas, telephone and water companies. Simplifying utility service providers billing system will likely lead to less confusion and make it much easier to understand, giving consumers an easier time comparing bills between companies.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 90 days after it becomes law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.