Bill Text: NY A03503 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Provides that each electric corporation shall establish a unique priority phone number that shall remain in operation every day of the year for customers who have documented their need for essential electricity for medical needs; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to ways and means [A03503 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A03503-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         3503--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 3, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. DINOWITZ, D. ROSENTHAL, ZEBROWSKI, RAMOS, SIMON,
          REYES, DICKENS, FAHY, THIELE, EICHENSTEIN, OTIS, SEAWRIGHT,  ROZIC  --
          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
          documented need for essential electricity for medical needs

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

     1    Section  1.    Paragraph  (g)  of subdivision 21 of section 66 of  the
     2  public service law is relettered paragraph (i) and  two  new  paragraphs
     3  (g) and (h) are added to read as follows:
     4    (g)  Each electric corporation shall establish a unique priority phone
     5  number that shall remain in operation every day of the year for  custom-
     6  ers who have documented their need for essential electricity for medical
     7  needs.    Such electric corporation shall provide notice and identifica-
     8  tion of such phone number through bill inserts, via e-mail, and on  such
     9  electric  corporation's  website.   Such notice and identification shall
    10  include information relating to how existing customers can  ensure  they
    11  are still registered with the electric corporation as a customer who has
    12  documented  their  need  for essential electricity for medical needs for
    13  the purposes of this section.
    14    (h) Customers who have documented their need for essential electricity
    15  for medical needs shall be able to call such number established by para-
    16  graph (g) of this subdivision at any time, including a time preceding or
    17  during an electric service disruption to:
    18    i. register with an electric corporation as a customer needing  essen-
    19  tial electricity for medical needs;
    20    ii.  receive  information  or  projections regarding the severity of a
    21  storm, storm-like electric emergency or system emergency, if applicable;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00902-04-3
        A. 3503--A                          2

     1    iii. report an outage or receive instructions  on  how  to  report  an
     2  outage;
     3    iv. receive updated information regarding the estimated time of resto-
     4  ration,  including  website  links  to  outage maps updated every thirty
     5  minutes, if applicable;
     6    v. receive outage safety precautions, including but  not  limited  to:
     7  storm  survival  without  electric  power,  safety precautions regarding
     8  electrical hazards such as downed wires and the use of portable  genera-
     9  tors;
    10    vi. receive information regarding dry ice distribution, if applicable;
    11    vii. receive information regarding power charging locations, if appli-
    12  cable;
    13    viii. receive information regarding cooling locations, if applicable;
    14    ix.  receive information regarding the claims process for spoiled food
    15  and medication, if applicable;
    16    x. receive potential information  adopted  pursuant  to  a  rulemaking
    17  proceeding commenced by the commission regarding restoration prioritiza-
    18  tion,  backup generators, or compensation for lodging in the event of an
    19  electric service disruption for customers with life-saving equipment, if
    20  applicable; and
    21    xi. receive information regarding the facilitation  of  transportation
    22  to  the  nearest  hospital or facility that is capable of powering life-
    23  saving equipment, if applicable.
    24    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.