Bill Text: NY A02780 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to establishing a bill of rights for customers of the Long Island power authority, including requiring timetables for power restoration in certain circumstances and dissemination of information regarding outages.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-5)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [A02780 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A02780-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2780
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 18, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, WEISENBERG, THIELE, FITZPATRICK, MONTESA-
NO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Author-
ities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing
a customer bill of rights for certain utility customers
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Sections 1020-ii, 1020-jj and 1020-kk of the public author-
2 ities law, as renumbered by chapter 388 of the laws of 2011, are renum-
3 bered sections 1020-jj, 1020-kk and 1020-ll and a new section 1020-ii is
4 added to read as follows:
5 S 1020-II. CUSTOMER BILL OF RIGHTS. 1. THE AUTHORITY SHALL HAVE SUFFI-
6 CIENT CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES AVAILABLE BY PHONE OR EMAIL TO
7 ADDRESS CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, CONCERNS, OR PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH RESTO-
8 RATION INFORMATION IN THE EVENT WHERE CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE SERVICE.
9 2. IN THE EVENT THAT TEN PERCENT OF CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE SERVICE, THE
10 AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH REGIONAL TIMETABLES FOR RESTORATION OF
11 SERVICE. EACH VILLAGE, TOWN, OR SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL HAVE THEIR OWN
12 RESTORATION TIMETABLE BASED UPON INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FOR EACH REGION.
13 THESE TIMETABLES MUST BE PUBLISHED ON THE AUTHORITY'S WEBSITE.
14 3. THE AUTHORITY SHALL HAVE AVAILABLE AND DISSEMINATE THE NUMBER OF
15 CREWS WORKING IN EACH REGION AND SHALL FURNISH THAT INFORMATION TO
16 CUSTOMERS ON THEIR WEBSITE AND IF REQUESTED BY EMAIL OR BY PHONE.
17 4. THE AUTHORITY SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN TO RESTORE POWER AT GASOLINE
18 STATIONS AND OTHER REFUELING STATIONS IN THE EVENT THAT TEN PERCENT OF
19 CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE SERVICE.
20 5. THE AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE
21 PLAN SHALL INCLUDE
22 A. ARRANGEMENTS FOR BRINGING IN STAFF, EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES; AND
23 B. ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH
24 INFORMATION REGARDING RESTORATION.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06485-01-3
A. 2780 2
1 6. THE AUTHORITY SHALL INVESTIGATE EACH CUSTOMER COMPLAINT REGARDING
2 TREE INTERFERENCE WITH ELECTRICAL WIRES THAT CARRY POWER SUPPLIED BY THE
3 AUTHORITY.
4 7. THE AUTHORITY SHALL INVESTIGATE EACH CUSTOMER COMPLAINT REGARDING
5 BROKEN OR ROTTING POLES WHICH HOLD UP ELECTRICAL WIRES THAT CARRY POWER
6 SUPPLIED BY THE AUTHORITY.
7 8. THE AUTHORITY SHALL CONDUCT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL POLES
8 CARRYING ELECTRICAL WIRES THAT SUPPLY POWER SUPPLIED BY THE AUTHORITY.
9 9. EACH COMPLAINT RECEIVED BY THE AUTHORITY WITH REGARD TO POWER
10 DISRUPTION OR PROBLEMS SHALL BE ASSIGNED A TRACKING NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER
11 REFERENCE. THE AUTHORITY SHALL MAINTAIN AN ONLINE SYSTEM WHICH SHALL
12 ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO TRACK THE STATUS OF COMPLAINTS.
13 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
