Bill Text: NY A03477 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Provides a judicial remedy to resolve complaints related to utility bills that have an alleged amount of damages exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-13 - print number 3477b [A03477 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A03477-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Provides a judicial remedy to resolve complaints related to utility bills that have an alleged amount of damages exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-13 - print number 3477b [A03477 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A03477-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3477 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 26, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to providing a judi- cial remedy to resolve complaints related to utility bills The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 66 of the public service law, as 2 amended by chapter 134 of the laws of 1921, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 5. Examine all persons, corporations and municipalities under its 5 supervision and keep informed as to the methods, practices, regulations 6 and property employed by them in the transaction of their business. 7 Whenever the commission shall be of opinion, after a hearing had upon 8 its own motion or upon complaint, that the rates, charges or classifica- 9 tions or the acts or regulations of any such person, corporation or 10 municipality are unjust, unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory or unduly 11 preferential or in anywise in violation of any provision of law, the 12 commission shall determine and prescribe in the manner provided by and 13 subject to the provisions of section seventy-two of this [chapter] arti- 14 cle the just and reasonable rates, charges and classifications thereaft- 15 er to be in force for the service to be furnished notwithstanding that a 16 higher or lower rate or charge has heretofore been prescribed by general 17 or special statute, contract, grant, franchise condition, consent or 18 other agreement, and the just and reasonable acts and regulations to be 19 done and observed; and whenever the commission shall be of opinion, 20 after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint, that the 21 property, equipment or appliances of any such person, corporation or 22 municipality are unsafe, inefficient or inadequate, the commission shall 23 determine and prescribe the safe, efficient and adequate property, 24 equipment and appliances thereafter to be used, maintained and operated 25 for the security and accommodation of the public and in compliance with EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09074-02-1A. 3477 2 1 the provisions of law and of their franchises and charters. Notwith- 2 standing any other provision of this article, a customer of any gas 3 corporation, electric corporation or combination gas and electric corpo- 4 ration, or a customer of any other person, company, or corporation 5 providing electricity or gas service to customers may, prior to making 6 an initial formal complaint to the department, commence an action in any 7 court of competent jurisdiction; provided, such action shall only be 8 commenced when the alleged amount of damages in controversy exceeds 9 twenty-five thousand dollars. 10 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 11 have become a law.
