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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 7
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Establishes a home heating fuel oil consumer assistance program and relates to home heating fuel oil pricing disclosure
In Assembly Committee · Consumer Affairs And Protection · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S6899
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law and the general business law, in relation to establishing a home heating fuel oil consumer assistance program and in relation to home heating fuel oil pricing disclosure
Purpose
To ensure consumer protection for the delivery and use of home heating fuel oil.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new subdivision 22 of section 1854 of the public authorities law, for the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to establish educational materials, including a consumer hotline and dedicated website for information regarding home heating fuel oil and authority for NYSERDA to direct complaints to proper authority for mediation purposes.
Section 2 creates a new Article 36-E of the general business law for home heating fuel oil pricing disclosure to ensure that consumers of home heating fuel oil have to delivered annually the information made publicly available by NYSERDA regarding the use, main components of price, conservation measures federal and state assistance programs, and the consumer complaint hotline for home heating fuel oil as a means for consumer protection.
Section 3 sets the effective date
Justification
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the northeastern United States accounts for 85% of all residential fuel oil sales in the country - New York State being the number one consumer. To make matters worse, the consumer prices have risen dramatically in the last fifteen years - by 496% (as per NYSERDA data: $0.876/gal. in September 1998 versus $4.342/gal. in Feb. 2014, most recent figures available). As the prices of this invaluable commodity continue to rise, disproportionately affecting tight household budgets, consumers are increasingly vulnerable to unscrupulous providers. This bill would require NYSERDA to create, as a public service, a hotline and website dedicated to consumer complaints related to fuel oil and direct them to appropriate authorities for mediation. Additionally, upon annual delivery of fuel oil for home heating use, information packets will be disclosed to consumers to provide better understanding of the pricing and remedies available for disputes over such matters.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.