Bill Text: NY A07778 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires reporting by the public service commission on consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and municipalities; the adequacy of the public service commissions assistance to customers facing disconnection of utility service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-06-19 - REFERRED TO RULES [A07778 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-A07778-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 7778 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y May 16, 2011 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LINARES, SIMOTAS, CAHILL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring report- ing by the public service commission on consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and municipalities THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 32 of the public service law is amended by adding a 2 new subdivision 7 to read as follows: 3 7. THE COMMISSION SHALL, NOT LATER THAN NOVEMBER FIFTEENTH, TWO THOU- 4 SAND TWELVE, AND AT LEAST ONCE ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, PROVIDE TO THE 5 GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE 6 ASSEMBLY, THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNI- 7 CATIONS AND THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ENERGY A REPORT 8 DETAILING CONSUMER PROTECTIONS ADOPTED BY ELECTRIC CORPORATIONS AND 9 MUNICIPALITIES ("UTILITIES") PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, AND THE ADEQUACY 10 OF THE COMMISSION'S ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS FACING DISCONNECTION OF 11 UTILITY SERVICE. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO AN 12 ANALYSIS OF: 13 (A) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT UTILITY PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFYING 14 CUSTOMERS IN ARREARS ON UTILITY CHARGES OF HOW THEY MAY AVOID TERMI- 15 NATION OF ELECTRIC, GAS OR STEAM SERVICE, INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY OF 16 DEFERRED PAYMENT AGREEMENTS; 17 (B) THE ADEQUACY OF THE COMMISSION'S ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS NEGOTIAT- 18 ING DEFERRED PAYMENT AGREEMENTS WITH UTILITIES IN LIEU OF DISCONNECTION 19 OF SERVICE, INCLUDING THE AMOUNT OF DEFERRED PAYMENT PLANS BY UTILITY 20 SERVICE TERRITORY; 21 (C) THE NUMBER OF INCIDENCES, IF ANY, IN WHICH UTILITIES HAVE REQUIRED 22 MORE THAN THE LAWFULLY ALLOWED LEVEL OF DOWN PAYMENTS OR DEFERRED 23 PAYMENTS FROM CUSTOMERS SEEKING TO CONNECT SERVICE OR AVOID DISCON- 24 NECTION; EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11688-01-1 A. 7778 2 1 (D) THE EFFECTIVENESS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE COMMISSION'S SHUTOFF 2 HOTLINE IN RECEIVING CALLS FROM CUSTOMERS FACING TERMINATION OF ELEC- 3 TRIC, GAS AND STEAM SERVICE AND THE CALL VOLUME TO SUCH HOTLINE IN EACH 4 UTILITY SERVICE TERRITORY; 5 (E) THE MONTHLY NUMBER OF ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS WHO 6 PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED UTILITY BILL ASSISTANCE FROM THE HOME ENERGY ASSIST- 7 ANCE PROGRAM WHOSE SERVICE WAS TERMINATED FOR BILL COLLECTION PURPOSES 8 IN EACH UTILITY SERVICE AREA IN THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR, PROVIDED 9 FURTHER THAT THE COMMISSION SHALL REQUIRE EACH UTILITY TO PROVIDE SUCH 10 INFORMATION WHILE MAINTAINING CUSTOMER CONFIDENTIALITY; AND 11 (F) ANY PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES NECESSARY TO INCREASE CUSTOMER 12 AWARENESS OF SUCH HOTLINE. 13 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.