What's happening
This bill requires utility companies to offer volunteer emergency response organizations the same reduced gas and electric rates as veterans' organizations.
Why it matters
Helps reduce operating costs for volunteer emergency responders. By mandating the same reduced gas and electric rates as veterans’ organizations, the bill directly lowers utility expenses for volunteer fire companies and ambulance services, which rely heavily on donations and limited municipal funding.
Aims to support vital public safety services. Lower utility costs can free up resources for equipment, training, and recruitment, helping these organizations maintain readiness and effectiveness in emergencies, which benefits community safety.
Explicitly prevents cost-shifting to regular customers. The bill prohibits utility companies from passing the cost of these reduced rates onto other consumers, meaning the financial support for volunteer organizations won’t result in higher utility bills for households or businesses.
Recognizes the public and governmental value of volunteers. By aligning the treatment of volunteer emergency responders with veterans’ groups, the law emphasizes their essential role in reducing the burden on local governments and underscores their community contributions.
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Who cares
Volunteer fire companies and voluntary ambulance services
Gas and electric service used exclusively for their organizations would qualify for rates no higher than those charged to veterans’ organizations in the same village, town or municipality.
Gas and electric utilities
They would have to establish the new service classification by January 1, 2020, and could not recover resulting lost revenue from customers.
Public Service Commission
The commission would be required to direct gas and electric utilities to establish the classification.
Gas and electric customers
The bill would prohibit utilities from charging them to recover revenue forgone under the new classification.
Headline styles
Lower Utility Rates for Volunteers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 7118a
- Amend and recommit to energy
- 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.
Lower Utilities for Volunteers
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Robert Ortt
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7118--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. RYAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy -- recommitted to the Committee on Energy in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to a rate classification for volunteer emergency response organizations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. Volunteer emergency response organizations provide a public benefit to the state of New York and lessen the burdens of government. Further, members of these not-forprofit organizations risk their lives to ensure the safety, health and general welfare of our citizens. In the past, the state of New York recognized the value of similar organizations and the sacrifices of their members when it established a reduced utility rate for veterans' organizations. Therefore, the legislature hereby finds and declares that volunteer emergency response organizations and veterans' organizations are similarly situated in their structures, practices and actions, and further finds and declares that a reduced utility rate is justified for volunteer emergency response organizations to help ensure their continued operation.
§ 2. Subdivision 14 of section 66 of the public service law, as amended by chapter 696 of the laws of 1936, is amended to read as follows:
14. (a) The commission shall have power to require each gas corporation and electric corporation to establish classifications of service based upon the quantity used, the time when used, the purpose for which used, the duration of use and upon any other reasonable consideration, and to establish in connection therewith just and reasonable graduated rates and charges; and it shall have power, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, to require such changes in such classifications,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07624-03-8
A. 7118--A 2
rates and charges as it shall determine to be just and reasonable. Neither the scheduled rates nor the minimum charge for residential customers shall, after July first, nineteen hundred thirty-seven, be based in any manner on the number of outlets, number of rooms, cubic or square foot area or other such standards.
(b) In accordance with paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the commission shall require each gas corporation and electric corporation to establish by January first, two thousand twenty a classification of service for volunteer emergency response organizations in which the rate for any gas or electric service utilized exclusively in connection with such volunteer emergency response organization shall be no greater than the rate charged to veterans' organizations pursuant to section seventy-six of this article that are located within the same village, town or municipality. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "volunteer emergency response organization" shall mean a volunteer fire company and/or a voluntary ambulance service as such terms are defined in section one hundred of the general municipal law.
§ 3. Subdivision 28 of section 66 of the public service law, as added by chapter 82 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
28. (a) No revenues foregone by an electric corporation, as a result of subjecting certain veterans' organizations with rates or charges applicable to domestic consumers pursuant to section seventy-six of this article, shall be recovered from the customers of such corporation.
(b) No revenues foregone by a gas corporation or an electric corporation, as a result of the establishment of a classification of service for volunteer emergency response organizations pursuant to subdivision fourteen of this section, shall be recovered from the customers of such corporation.
§ 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.