STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 888--B 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 11, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JACOBSON, SHRESTHA, SANTABARBARA, EACHUS, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authori- ties and Commissions -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to permitting the rendering of an estimated bill from a utility corporation or munici- pality under certain circumstances The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 39 of the public service law, as 2 amended by chapter 686 of the laws of 2002, is amended and a new subdi- 3 vision 1-a is added to read as follows: 4 1. A utility corporation or municipality may, in accordance with such 5 requirements as the commission may impose by regulation, render an esti- 6 mated bill for any billing period if: (a) the procedure used by such 7 utility or municipality for calculating estimated bills has been 8 approved by the commission, and the bill clearly indicates that it is 9 based on an estimated reading and (b) the utility owning the meter and 10 providing the meter reading data on which the estimated bill will be 11 based or the municipality has made reasonable effort to obtain an actual 12 meter reading or (c) circumstances beyond the control of the utility or 13 municipality made an actual reading of the meter extremely difficult or 14 (d) circumstances indicate a reported reading is likely to be erroneous, 15 or (e) an estimated reading is prescribed or authorized by the commis- 16 sion for a billing period between periods when actual meter readings are 17 scheduled or for seasonal or short term customers. Outside of the 18 aforementioned criteria for estimated billing pursuant to this section, 19 all other bills shall use actual meter readings, however such readings 20 may be obtained, provided that such readings are taken in accordance EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02154-04-3A. 888--B 2 1 with the provisions of this section. To the extent practicable, any 2 additional costs required to achieve actual meter readings pursuant to 3 this subdivision shall not be passed onto the customer. 4 1-a. The commission shall require each utility corporation and munici- 5 pality within six months to submit to the commission a model procedure 6 for the calculation of estimated bills that incorporates best practices 7 and technology and accounts for any barriers to the use of actual meter 8 readings. On or before November first, two thousand twenty-four, the 9 commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to incorporate and 10 adopt such model procedures for utility corporations and municipalities. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.