What's happening
This bill requires gas corporations to file annual gas safety reports detailing pipeline replacement projects, safety activities, and use of employees versus contractors.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and accountability. By requiring detailed annual gas safety reports, the bill makes it easier for regulators and the public to track how gas corporations are prioritizing and executing pipeline replacements and other safety-related activities.
Highlights use of employees vs. contractors. The requirement to specify which pipeline projects were completed by in-house employees versus contractors, and the option for independent cost-benefit analysis, could influence labor practices and oversight, with potential implications for job quality, safety, and costs.
Empowers regulators to enforce improvements. If deficiencies are found in a corporation’s safety operations or project management, the law enables the Public Service Commission to mandate corrective actions, which could lead to higher safety standards and better protection for gas consumers.
Focuses on strategic decision-making and spending. Corporations must explain their methodology for prioritizing pipeline replacement projects and disclose how allocated funds are spent, potentially leading to more efficient and safety-focused investment of resources.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Gas Safety Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
10 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Advanced to third reading cal.769
- Reported
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
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.
Require Gas Safety Reports
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor John E. Brooks
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10004
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, DINOWITZ, GALEF, OTIS, SEAWRIGHT, COLTON, D'URSO, HARRIS, ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to filing gas safety reports
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-p to read as follows:
§ 66-p. Gas safety reports. 1. On or before March fifteenth of each year, each gas corporation shall file with the department a gas safety report. The department shall review the reports to monitor each gas corporation's pipeline replacement projects and all other activities related to providing safe and reliable gas service in order to determine whether the projects or activities are being carried out in a manner consistent with this chapter, the commission's rules, regulations and orders, and any practice the department has deemed necessary for the provision of safe and reliable service, and to track how each gas corporation is spending any funds allocated for pipeline replacement projects and all other activities related to providing safe and reliable gas service.
2. The gas safety report provided for in subdivision one of this section shall include a thorough description and explanation of the strategic planning and decision-making methodology used to determine and prioritize pipeline replacement projects, a description of the corporation's operation and maintenance activities related to gas safety, a description of the corporation's inspections of its intrastate transmission and distribution lines, and any other information the department may require. If there has been no substantial change in a gas corporation's safety report since the gas safety report most recently filed with the department, the corporation, with consent of the department, may file an updated version of such report.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02147-02-8
A. 10004 2
2-a. A gas corporation shall also include with its gas safety report a list of pipeline replacement projects completed by a gas corporation within the last year; such list shall indicate which projects were completed with a gas corporation's own employees and which were completed by contractors. The commission may also order a gas corporation to submit an independent cost benefit analysis which examines the gas corporation's use of its own employees and its use of contractors to complete pipeline replacement projects.
3. If the department determines that there is a deficiency in a gas corporation's prioritization or administration of its pipeline replacement projects or operation and maintenance activities related to gas safety, the department shall notify the commission at the next scheduled public session and shall provide a brief description of the facts and nature of the deficiency. The commission may order reasonable improvements that will best promote the public interest, preserve the public health and protect those using gas pursuant to those powers provided to the commission as provided in this chapter, including but not limited to those in section sixty-six of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.