Bill Text: NY A01950 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates the state office of the utility consumer advocate to represent interests of residential utility customers.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 37-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to consumer affairs and protection [A01950 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A01950-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1950 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 23, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, PEOPLES-STOKES, PAULIN, L. ROSENTHAL, ZEBROWSKI, WEPRIN, COLTON, HEVESI, COOK, STIRPE, STECK, LUPARDO, GUNTHER, SANTABARBARA, JEAN-PIERRE, JOYNER, FAHY, OTIS, HUNTER, BARRETT, SEAWRIGHT, TAYLOR, RA, SMITH, SIMON, BENEDETTO, BURDICK, BRABENEC, EPSTEIN, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, BURGOS, SILLITTI, CRUZ, GLICK, KELLES, GALLAGHER, DICKENS, DeSTEFANO, SAYEGH, DARLING -- Multi-Spon- sored by -- M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to creating the state office of the utility consumer advocate The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new article 2 1-A to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 1-A 4 THE STATE OFFICE OF THE UTILITY CONSUMER ADVOCATE 5 Section 28-a. Definitions. 6 28-b. Establishment of the state office of the utility consumer 7 advocate. 8 28-c. Powers of the state office of the utility consumer advo- 9 cate. 10 28-d. Reports. 11 § 28-a. Definitions. When used in this article: (a) "Department" 12 means the department of public service. 13 (b) "Commission" means the public service commission. 14 (c) "Residential utility customer" means any person who is sold or 15 offered for sale residential utility service by a utility company. 16 (d) "Utility company" means any person or entity operating an agency 17 for public service, including, but not limited to, those persons or 18 entities subject to the jurisdiction, supervision and regulations 19 prescribed by or pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01422-01-3A. 1950 2 1 § 28-b. Establishment of the state office of the utility consumer 2 advocate. There is established the state office of the utility consumer 3 advocate to represent the interests of residential utility customers. 4 The utility consumer advocate shall be appointed by the governor to a 5 term of six years, upon the advice and consent of the senate. The utili- 6 ty consumer advocate shall possess knowledge and experience in matters 7 affecting residential utility customers and shall be responsible for the 8 direction, control, and operation of the state office of the utility 9 consumer advocate, including its hiring of staff and retention of 10 experts for analysis and testimony in proceedings. The utility consumer 11 advocate shall not be removed for cause, but may be removed only after 12 notice and opportunity to be heard, and only for permanent disability, 13 malfeasance, a felony, or conduct involving moral turpitude. Exercise of 14 independent judgment in advocating positions on behalf of residential 15 utility customers shall not constitute cause for removal of the utility 16 consumer advocate. 17 § 28-c. Powers of the state office of the utility consumer advocate. 18 The state office of the utility consumer advocate shall have the power 19 and duty to: (a) initiate, intervene in, or participate on behalf of 20 residential utility customers in any proceedings before the commission, 21 the federal energy regulatory commission, the federal communications 22 commission, federal, state and local administrative and regulatory agen- 23 cies, and state and federal courts in any matter or proceeding that may 24 substantially affect the interests of residential utility customers, 25 including, but not limited to, a proposed change of rates, charges, 26 terms and conditions of service, the adoption of rules, regulations, 27 guidelines, orders, standards or final policy decisions where the utili- 28 ty consumer advocate deems such initiation, intervention or partic- 29 ipation to be necessary or appropriate; 30 (b) represent the interests of residential utility customers of the 31 state before federal, state and local administrative and regulatory 32 agencies engaged in the regulation of energy, telecommunications, water, 33 and other utility services, and before state and federal courts in 34 actions and proceedings to review the actions of utilities or orders of 35 utility regulatory agencies. Any action or proceeding brought by the 36 utility consumer advocate before a court or an agency shall be brought 37 in the name of the state office of the utility consumer advocate. The 38 utility consumer advocate may join with a residential utility customer 39 or group of residential utility customers in bringing an action; 40 (c) (i) in addition to any other authority conferred upon the utility 41 consumer advocate, he or she is authorized, and it shall be his or her 42 duty to represent the interests of residential utility customers as a 43 party, or otherwise participate for the purpose of representing the 44 interests of such customers before any agencies or courts. He or she may 45 initiate proceedings if in his or her judgment doing so may be necessary 46 in connection with any matter involving the actions or regulation of 47 public utility companies whether on appeal or otherwise initiated. The 48 utility consumer advocate may monitor all cases before regulatory agen- 49 cies in the United States, including the federal communications commis- 50 sion and the federal energy regulatory commission that affect the inter- 51 ests of residential utility customers of the state and may formally 52 participate in those proceedings which in his or her judgment warrants 53 such participation. 54 (ii) the utility consumer advocate shall exercise his or her independ- 55 ent discretion in determining the interests of residential utility 56 customers that will be advocated in any proceeding, and determiningA. 1950 3 1 whether to participate in or initiate any proceeding and, in so deter- 2 mining, shall consider the public interest, the resources available, and 3 the substantiality of the effect of the proceeding on the interests of 4 residential utility customers; 5 (d) request and receive from any state or local authority, agency, 6 department or division of the state or political subdivision such 7 assistance, personnel, information, books, records, other documentation 8 and cooperation necessary to perform his or her duties; and 9 (e) enter into cooperative agreements with other government offices to 10 efficiently carry out his or her work. 11 § 28-d. Reports. On July first, two thousand twenty-four and annually 12 thereafter, the state office of the utility consumer advocate shall 13 issue a report to the governor and the legislature, and make such report 14 available to the public free of charge on a publicly available website, 15 containing, but not limited to, the following information: 16 (a) all proceedings that the state office of the utility consumer 17 advocate participated in and the outcome of such proceedings, to the 18 extent of such outcome, and if not confidential; 19 (b) estimated savings to residential utility consumers that resulted 20 from intervention by the state office of the utility consumer advocate; 21 and 22 (c) policy recommendations and suggested statutory amendments that the 23 state office of the utility consumer advocate deems necessary. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding 25 the date on which it shall have become a law.
