Bill Text: NY S08491 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relates to establishing discount programs for veterans; provides that utilities, water-works corporations, telephone corporations and cable television companies shall create discount programs that provide a 10 percent discount to veterans; defines terms.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-06-03 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S08491 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S08491-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8491

                    IN SENATE

                                      March 7, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
          cations

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public service law, in relation to establishing
          discount programs for veterans

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

     1    Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
     2  66-s to read as follows:
     3    § 66-s. Utility discount program.   1. (a) Notwithstanding  any  other
     4  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a
     5  gas  corporation,  electric  corporation  or municipality to establish a
     6  discount program for veterans no later than ninety days after the effec-
     7  tive date of this section. Such program shall offer a yearly benefit  to
     8  veterans  in  the  form  of a ten percent discount on utility bills. The
     9  fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers and  shall
    10  not  be  added  to  bills rendered by a gas corporation, electric corpo-
    11  ration or municipality to customers.
    12    (b) A gas corporation,  electric  corporation  or  municipality  which
    13  offers  such  discount  program shall conspicuously advertise the avail-
    14  ability and amount of such discount on the website of  such  gas  corpo-
    15  ration,  electric  corporation  or  municipality.  The  availability and
    16  amount of such discount shall also be conspicuously  advertised  on  the
    17  accessibility  page  of  the  website  of such gas corporation, electric
    18  corporation or municipality.
    19    2. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean  a  resident
    20  of  the  state  who  served in and who received any honorable or general
    21  discharge from the United States army, navy, air  force,  marine  corps,
    22  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
    23  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
    24    § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q to
    25  read as follows:
    26    §  89-q.  Water  discount  program.  1.  (a) Notwithstanding any other
    27  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed  to  require

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14947-01-2
        S. 8491                             2

     1  waterworks  corporations  and  municipal  water  systems  to establish a
     2  discount program for veterans no later than ninety days after the effec-
     3  tive date of this section.  Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to
     4  veterans  in  the form of a ten percent discount on water utility bills.
     5  The fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne  by  customers  and
     6  shall  not  be  added  to  bills rendered by a waterworks corporation or
     7  municipal water system to customers.
     8    (b) A waterworks corporation or municipal water  system  which  offers
     9  such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and
    10  amount of such discount on the website of such waterworks corporation or
    11  municipal  water  system.  The  availability and amount of such discount
    12  shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of  the
    13  website of such waterworks corporation or municipal water system.
    14    2.  For  the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a resident
    15  of the state who served in and who received  any  honorable  or  general
    16  discharge  from  the  United States army, navy, air force, marine corps,
    17  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
    18  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
    19    § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 91-b to
    20  read as follows:
    21    § 91-b. Telephone discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding  any  other
    22  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a
    23  telephone  corporation  to  establish a discount program for veterans no
    24  later than ninety days after the effective date of  this  section.  Such
    25  program  shall  offer  a yearly benefit to veterans in the form of a ten
    26  percent discount on telephone bills. The fiscal impact of  such  program
    27  shall not be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered
    28  by a telephone corporation to customers.
    29    (b)  A  telephone corporation which offers such discount program shall
    30  conspicuously advertise the availability and amount of such discount  on
    31  the  website  of such telephone corporation. The availability and amount
    32  of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the  accessi-
    33  bility page of the website of such telephone corporation.
    34    2.  For  the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a resident
    35  of the state who served in and who received  any  honorable  or  general
    36  discharge  from  the  United States army, navy, air force, marine corps,
    37  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
    38  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
    39    § 4. The public service law is amended by adding a new  section  224-d
    40  to read as follows:
    41    §  224-d.  Cable  discount  program.  1. (a) Notwithstanding any other
    42  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a
    43  telephone corporation, as defined in subdivision  seventeen  of  section
    44  two  of  this  chapter,  and  a  cable television company, as defined in
    45  section two hundred twelve of this article, that provides cable  service
    46  to  customers  in New York, to establish a discount program for veterans
    47  no later than ninety days after the effective date of this section. Such
    48  program shall offer a yearly benefit to veterans in the form  of  a  ten
    49  percent discount on cable bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall
    50  not  be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by a
    51  telephone corporation or cable television company to customers.
    52    (b) A telephone corporation or cable television company  which  offers
    53  such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and
    54  amount  of such discount on the website of such telephone corporation or
    55  cable television company. The availability and amount of  such  discount
        S. 8491                             3

     1  shall  also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the
     2  website of such telephone corporation or cable television company.
     3    2.  For  the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a resident
     4  of the state who served in and who received  any  honorable  or  general
     5  discharge  from  the  United States army, navy, air force, marine corps,
     6  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
     7  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
     8    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.