Bill Text: NY S06862 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires utility companies to include explanations for each item charged on a consumer's bill.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-11 - RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN [S06862 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06862-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6862

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    November 20, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  JACOBS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring utility
          companies to include explanations for each item charged on  a  consum-
          er's bill

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

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 12-a of section 66 of the public  service  law,
     2  as  added  by  chapter  527  of  the laws of 1977, is amended to read as
     3  follows:
     4    12-a. Have power  to  fix  and  alter  the  format  and  informational
     5  requirements  of  bills utilized by public and private gas corporations,
     6  electric corporations and  gas  and  electric  corporations  in  levying
     7  charges  for  service,  to  assure simplicity and clarity and to require
     8  indication of any adjustment charges, including but not limited to  fuel
     9  adjustments,  in  monetary  amounts. The commission shall further ensure
    10  periodic explanation of applicable rates  and  rate  schedules  for  the
    11  purpose of assisting customers in making the most efficient use of ener-
    12  gy. The commission shall also require that all monthly bills provided to
    13  utility  customers include each specific expense that contributes to the
    14  total cost of that particular utility bill.   Expenses  required  to  be
    15  disclosed on each monthly utility bill shall include, but not be limited
    16  to,  the  following:  (a) property taxes; (b) sales and compensating use
    17  taxes; (c) costs and expenses of the commission and department  pursuant
    18  to  section  eighteen-a  of  this chapter; (d) gross receipts taxes; (e)
    19  franchise and income taxes; (f)  metropolitan  transportation  authority
    20  payroll  taxes;  and  (g)  fees, charges and costs imposed by the public
    21  service commission which are embedded in the customer bill.  Such  fees,
    22  charges and costs shall include costs from the implementation of reform-
    23  ing  energy  vision,  energy  efficiency,  distributed energy resources,
    24  renewable energy credits, zero emission credits,  subsidies  to  nuclear

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14255-01-9
        S. 6862                             2

     1  power  facilities  and  any  subsidy to any hydroelectric, solar or wind
     2  energy project or any other expense resulting from the implementation of
     3  the clean energy standard.
     4    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
     5  it shall have become a law.