What's happening
This bill requires homeowners and contractors to notify authorities and oil suppliers before converting home heating systems from oil to alternative fuels.
Why it matters
Creates explicit notification requirements. Homeowners and contractors must now provide written notice to local code enforcement officials and heating oil suppliers before switching from oil to another heating system. This ensures authorities and suppliers are aware of changes that could impact safety, fuel deliveries, and regulatory compliance.
Aims to prevent safety risks and environmental hazards. By requiring notification, the bill helps ensure that old oil tanks and associated systems are properly decommissioned, minimizing the risk of leaks, spills, or improper abandonment that can pose fire, health, or pollution hazards.
Clarifies roles and responsibilities. The bill specifically assigns the notification duty to both property owners (for suppliers) and contractors (for code officials), closing potential gaps where critical information might previously have been overlooked or assumed to be someone else’s responsibility.
Empowers state oversight. The Department of State is authorized to issue rules and regulations for implementing these requirements, which could lead to standardized procedures and better tracking of home heating system conversions across New York.
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Who cares
Homeowners converting from oil heat
The bill would require property owners to notify their heating oil suppliers in writing before starting the new heating service.
Home improvement contractors
Contractors installing replacement heating systems would have to give homeowners a separate written notice and notify municipal code enforcement officials as required by state or local law.
Heating oil suppliers
Suppliers would receive written notice from property owners switching to an alternate fuel before the new service begins.
Utility companies, gas corporations and electric corporations
The bill would remove these entities from the provision requiring delivery of the homeowner notice, leaving that duty with the installing home improvement contractor.
Headline styles
Notify Home Heating Changes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.62
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.360
- Substituted for A8947
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.33
- Referred to rules
- Referred to rules
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.
Notify Home Heating Swaps
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Charles Lavine
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6954
IN SENATE
January 6, 2020
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to home heating system conversion
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 778-aa of the general business law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the general business law and the executive law relating to home heating system conversion, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3360-A and A. 6193-A, are amended to read as follows:
3. Upon entering into an agreement for the conversion of an existing home heating system from an oil home heating system to an alternative method of home heating, and prior to the commencement of the new home heating service, [the utility company, gas corporation, or electric corporation, as defined in section two of the public service law, or] any home improvement contractor installing the alternate home heating system[,] shall provide to the homeowner a written copy of the notice created by the department of state pursuant to subdivision [four] five of this section, in no less than 14 point bold type and separate [form] from any other document provided to such homeowner and provide as may be required by state or local law, written notice of the agreement for the conversion of an existing home heating system to the municipal code enforcement official having authority to enforce the New York state uniform fire prevention and building code, or local code applicable to cities with a population of one million or more, whichever code applies to the jurisdiction in which the home heating system is located.
4. (a) Prior to the commencement of the new home heating service, the property owner shall provide written notice to such property owner's heating oil supplier or suppliers to inform them of such conversion to an alternate fuel prior to the commencement of the new home heating service.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
S LBD04379-04-9
S. 6954 2
(b) The department of state shall have the authority to promulgate any rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this subdivision.
[4.] 5. The department of state shall create and make available to the public on the department's website a notice informing homeowners who are converting their existing oil home heating system to an alternative method of home heating of the provisions of subdivision thirteen of section three hundred seventy-eight of the executive law, in addition to any other state laws, rules, or regulations related to the closure, abandonment, and/or removal of a heating oil storage tank, including fill and vent pipes and other related materials and equipment. Such notice shall include [a requirement that] information to inform the homeowner [must] that the homeowner shall provide written notice to his or her home heating oil supplier to inform such supplier of such conversion prior to the commencement of the new home heating service, and shall also advise the homeowner that there may be other local laws related to such conversion.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the general business law and the executive law relating to home heating system conversion, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3360-A and A. 6193-A, takes effect.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to home heating system conversion
Purpose
This is a chapter amendment that makes changes to provisions of L.2019, c.725.
Summary of provisions
This legislation amends the underlying chapter by removing the responsi- bility of utility companies, gas corporations and electric corporations from providing notice to homeowners of the conversion and requiring notice to be provided to the appropriate enforcement official.
Justification
The Executive expressed concerns over placing the onus of the underlying legislation on the incorrect parties while supporting its goals. This legislation is a negotiated change to the underlying chapter that addresses those concerns.
Legislative history
Chapter amendment to Chapter 725 of the Laws of 2019.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.