What's happening
This bill requires the Public Service Commission to study and report on utility consumer protections, with a possible moratorium on shutoffs if the report is not completed.
Why it matters
Forces accountability and transparency. by requiring the Public Service Commission (PSC) to comprehensively analyze and publicly report on how utilities notify and assist customers at risk of having their service shut off, with a focus on effectiveness and compliance with legal protections.
Examines critical consumer protection gaps. , including whether utilities are demanding higher-than-allowed down payments, the adequacy of deferred payment plans, and how well the PSC’s shutoff hotline is working for vulnerable customers.
Includes a strong incentive for timely action. If the PSC does not complete the required study and report by the deadline, a temporary moratorium on shutoffs for certain residential customers will automatically go into effect, directly protecting people at risk.
Invites broad stakeholder input and considers legislative remedies. , ensuring that the process is informed by utilities, consumers, and advocates, and could lead to further reforms to improve utility consumer protections and outreach.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Study Utility Consumer Protections
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to energy
- Referred to energy
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.
Study Utility Consumer Protections
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Tony Avella
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2673
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SIMOTAS, CAHILL, HEVESI, WEPRIN, COLTON, ROSEN- THAL, PERRY, JAFFEE, HOOPER, MOYA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
AN ACT to direct the public service commission to undertake a study of consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and utilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The New York State public service commission shall undertake an immediate study of consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and municipalities ("utilities") pursuant to article 2 of the public service law and provide a report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate committee on energy and telecommunications and the chair of the assembly committee on energy. Such report shall include an analysis of the effectiveness of current utility procedures for notifying customers in arrears on utility charges of how they may avoid termination of electric, gas or steam service, including the availability of deferred payment agreements. In addition, such report shall review the adequacy of the commission's assistance to customers negotiating deferred payment agreements with utilities in lieu of disconnection of service including the number of deferred payment plans by utility service territory; the number of incidences, if any, in which utilities have required more than the lawfully allowed level of down payments or deferred payments from customers seeking to connect service or avoid disconnection; the effectiveness and availability of the commission's shutoff hotline in receiving calls from customers facing termination of electric, gas and steam service; the call volume to such hotline in each utility service territory; the monthly number of electric and natural gas customers who previously received utility bill assistance from the Home Energy Assistance Program whose service was terminated for bill collection purposes in each utility service area in the previous calendar year, provided
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00641-01-7
A. 2673 2
further that the commission shall require each utility provide such information while maintaining customer confidentiality; and any proposed legislative remedies necessary to increase customer awareness of such hotline. The report shall be made available to the public on the commission's website.
§ 2. The New York State public service commission shall seek comments from utilities, municipalities, consumer advocates and the public and may include in the report recommendations to improve existing consumer protection policies.
§ 3. If the study pursuant to section one of this act is not received by November 15, 2018, the commission shall institute a moratorium preventing utility corporations from terminating electric, gas or steam service to any residential customer in arrears with whom it has entered into an agreement for the provision of such services. The moratorium shall last for the period beginning December 1, 2018 and ending on March 31, 2019. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent a utility corporation from charging customers for electric, gas or steam service or from offering a deferred payment agreement for the period beginning December 1, 2018 and ending on March 31, 2019.
§ 4. 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.