Bill Text: NY A02464 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Provides that the public service commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to set minimum requirements regarding the rights of customers with life-saving equipment that electric corporations shall adhere to at times preceding and for the duration of an electric service disruption; defines terms; makes related provisions.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 23-3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to ways and means [A02464 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A02464-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2464--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 19, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, GOTTFRIED, GALEF, D. ROSENTHAL, ZEBROW- SKI, ABINANTI, RAMOS, SIMON, REYES, DICKENS, SOLAGES, LAVINE, FAHY, CYMBROWITZ, GRIFFIN, THIELE, BARRON, EICHENSTEIN, ENGLEBRIGHT, OTIS, SEAWRIGHT, ROZIC, FRONTUS, MONTESANO, DeSTEFANO, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to customers with life-saving equipment during a service disruption The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section: 2 "customer with life-saving equipment" shall have the same meaning as a 3 person living in a residence that uses a life support system as defined 4 in subdivision 12 of section 65 of the public service law. 5 2. a. The public service commission shall commence a rulemaking 6 proceeding to set minimum requirements regarding customers with life- 7 saving equipment. Such rulemaking proceeding shall establish a plan 8 that, in the event of an electric service disruption, requires electric 9 corporations to: 10 i. provide backup generators capable of powering life-saving equipment 11 to customers with life-saving equipment, including refueling or recharg- 12 ing services; or 13 ii. provide temporary lodging accommodations at a location capable of 14 powering life-saving equipment, including but not limited to compen- 15 sation for hotel rooms or hospital admissions, based on the duration of 16 the electric service disruption to customers with life-saving equipment; 17 and 18 iii. prioritize electric service restoration to customers with life- 19 saving equipment. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05773-04-1A. 2464--A 2 1 b. Upon adoption by the commission, each electric corporation shall 2 incorporate the established minimum requirements into its emergency 3 response plan pursuant to subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public 4 service law and shall inform its customers of such information via posts 5 on its website, e-mail and bill inserts. 6 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 65-c to 7 read as follows: 8 § 65-c. Customers with life-saving equipment. 1. Definitions. For 9 purposes of this section: 10 "customer with life-saving equipment" shall have the same meaning as a 11 person living in a residence that uses a life support system as defined 12 in subdivision twelve of section sixty-five of this article. 13 2. Customers with life-saving equipment. (a) Electric corporations 14 shall establish a unique priority phone number that shall remain in 15 operation every day of the year for customers with life-saving equip- 16 ment. 17 (b)Information regarding such phone number shall be provided in bill 18 inserts, via e-mail, and posted on electric corporations' websites and 19 shall include reminders for existing customers with life-saving equip- 20 ment to call such number to ensure they are still registered with the 21 electric corporation as a customer with life-saving equipment. 22 (c) Customers with life-saving equipment shall be able to call such 23 number established by paragraph (a) of this subdivision at any time, 24 including a time preceding or during an electric service disruption to: 25 i. register with an electric corporation so as to be placed on its 26 current list of customers who use life support systems pursuant to 27 subdivision twelve of section sixty-five of this article; 28 ii. receive information or projections regarding the severity of a 29 storm, storm-like electric emergency or system emergency, if applicable; 30 iii. report an outage or receive instructions on how to report an 31 outage; 32 iv. receive updated information regarding the estimated time of resto- 33 ration, including website links to outage maps updated every thirty 34 minutes, if applicable; 35 v. receive outage safety precautions, including but not limited to: 36 storm survival without electric power, safety precautions regarding 37 electrical hazards such as downed wires and the use of portable genera- 38 tors; 39 vi. receive information regarding dry ice distribution, if applicable; 40 vii. receive information regarding power charging locations, if appli- 41 cable; 42 viii. receive information regarding cooling locations, if applicable; 43 ix. receive information regarding the claims process for spoiled food 44 and medication, if applicable; 45 x. receive potential information adopted pursuant to a rulemaking 46 proceeding commenced by the commission regarding restoration prioritiza- 47 tion, backup generators, or compensation for lodging in the event of an 48 electric service disruption for customers with life-saving equipment, if 49 applicable; and 50 xi. receive information regarding the facilitation of transportation 51 to the nearest hospital or facility that is capable of powering life- 52 saving equipment, if applicable. 53 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
