What's happening
This bill prohibits public utilities from charging volunteer fire and ambulance organizations higher rates than individual residential customers.
Why it matters
Reduces financial pressure on volunteer fire and ambulance organizations. by ensuring they pay the same utility rates as residential customers, freeing up more of their limited budgets for emergency response instead of overhead costs.
Prevents utility companies from shifting lost revenue onto other customers. , meaning that regular ratepayers and businesses won’t see their own bills increased to subsidize this change.
Strengthens support for essential emergency services. , which often operate on tight budgets and rely heavily on volunteers, making it easier for these organizations to continue serving their communities effectively.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Utility Bills for Volunteers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1437
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sens. RITCHIE, BONACIC, CROCI, DeFRANCISCO, ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to charges or fees on volunteer ambulance corps and volunteer fire companies in certain cases
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 116-a to read as follows:
§ 116-a. Certain volunteer organizations to be treated as individual customer; certain cases. No public utility company shall charge, impose or collect from any volunteer ambulance corps or volunteer fire company any rate, fee or charge not otherwise chargeable to an individual residential customer for the same or similar service.
§ 2. Section 66 of the public service law is amended by adding a new subdivision 29 to read as follows:
29. No revenue forgone by an electric corporation, as a result of subjecting volunteer ambulance corps and volunteer fire companies with rates or charges applicable to domestic consumers pursuant to section one hundred sixteen-a of this chapter, shall be recovered from customers of such corporation.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07352-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to charges or fees on volunteer ambulance corps and volunteer fire companies in certain cases
Purpose
Requires public utility companies to charge volunteer ambulance corps and volunteer fire departments the same rates and charges applicable to residential customers.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the Public Service Law by adding a new section 116-a allowing certain volunteer organizations to be treated as individual customers and provides that no public utility company may charge such a volunteer organization a fee not otherwise chargeable to an individual residential customer.
Section 2 amends section 66 of the Public Service Law by adding a new subdivision 29 provides that revenue forgone by an electric corporation as a result of charging volunteer organizations domestic consumer raters may not be recovered from customers of such corporation.
Existing law
Presently, public utilities have the option of charging volunteer ambulance corps and volunteer fire companies commercial utility rates, and often do so.
Justification
Volunteer ambulance corps and fire companies provide essential services to communities. As a matter of public policy these volunteer organizations should enjoy the lowest fees, rates, and charges available. Instead, current law provides for public utilities' discretion in choosing whether to charge volunteer organizations residential or commercial rates. However, public utility companies are statutorily required to charge other organizations, including veteran organizations, religious bodies, and community residences at the residential rate. Volunteer emergency services must also receive the reduced residential rates.
The increase costs of utility services places an unnecessary burden on these public servants. In rural counties throughout the state, most emergency services are provided by volunteers. These organization simply cannot afford to pay high utility rates. This legislation requires public utility companies to charge volunteer fire companies and volunteer ambulance corps the same rates, charges, and fees afforded to residential customers. Any revenue lost from the reduced rate may not be recovered by public utilities by diverting costs to other customers.
This legislation provides the necessary rate reduction in utility costs that help these emergency organizations continue to serve their communities.
Legislative history
2015-2016: S.2534 Referred to Energy 2013-2014: S.1947 Referred to Energy 2011-2012: S.5520 Referred to Energy/ A.3561 Referred to Corporation 2010: S.3470 Referred to Energy/ A.4721 Referred to Corporation 2008: S.5059-A Passed Senate / A.4636-B Referred to Corporation 2006: S.3032 Referred to Energy/ A.3422 Referred to Corporation 2004: A.976 Referred to Corporation 2001-2002: S.798 Referred to Energy/ A.2969 Referred to Corporation 1999-2000: S.95 Referred to Energy /A. 4174 Passed Assembly 1997-1998: S.5114-A Referred to Energy/A.5601-A Referred to Codes 1995-1996: S.838 Referred to Energy/A.1335 Referred to Energy
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after is shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.