Bill Text: NY A01512 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts the "utility ratepayer protection act"; requires legislative approval of increases in utility charges.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to energy [A01512 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A01512-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1512

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 11, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. SANTABARBARA, JEAN-PIERRE, HUNTER -- read once
          and referred to the Committee on Energy

        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring  legis-
          lative approval of increases in utility charges

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as  the  "utility
     2  ratepayer protection act".
     3    §  2.    Subdivision  12  of  section  66 of the public service law is
     4  amended by adding a new paragraph (b-1) to read as follows:
     5    (b-1) No change shall be made in any rate or charge, which shall  have
     6  been  filed  by a utility in compliance with an order of the commission,
     7  without the consent of both houses of the legislature by a majority vote
     8  in each house. The utility shall submit a written report to the legisla-
     9  ture at least one hundred  eighty  days  prior  to  the  date  when  any
    10  proposed  increase  in  fees,  rentals  and charges for the provision of
    11  services by the utility is scheduled to take effect. Such  report  shall
    12  include justification for the proposed increase, and information setting
    13  forth  the  current  financial condition of the utility. The legislature
    14  may require any additional data or information that it deems  necessary.
    15  If  the  legislature,  or the appropriate committees thereof, finds that
    16  the proposed increases are not necessary to produce  sufficient  revenue
    17  to  meet the expense of the provision of services, including the mainte-
    18  nance and operation of infrastructure, then no proposed  increase  shall
    19  take  effect  until  approved  by  a  majority vote of each house of the
    20  legislature.
    21    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03962-01-1