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

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-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         8491--B
            Cal. No. 922

                    IN SENATE

                                      March 7, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. PARKER, GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele-
          communications  --  reported favorably from said committee, ordered to
          first and second report, ordered  to  a  third  reading,  amended  and
          ordered  reprinted,  retaining its place in the order of third reading
          -- again amended and ordered reprinted, retaining  its  place  in  the
          order of third reading

        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-t to read as follows:
     3    § 66-t. 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 (a) is the primary named utility service accountholder;
    21  (b) has had a total household income of less than fifty thousand dollars
    22  for  the  most  recent two consecutive income tax years beginning in two
    23  thousand nineteen,  as  verified  by  the  department  of  taxation  and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14947-04-2
        S. 8491--B                          2

     1  finance;  and  (c)  served  in and who received any honorable or general
     2  discharge from the United States army, navy, air  force,  marine  corps,
     3  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
     4  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
     5    § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q to
     6  read as follows:
     7    §  89-q.  Water  discount  program.  1.  (a) Notwithstanding any other
     8  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed  to  require
     9  waterworks  corporations  and  municipal  water  systems  to establish a
    10  discount program for veterans no later than ninety days after the effec-
    11  tive date of this section.  Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to
    12  veterans in the form of a ten percent discount on water  utility  bills.
    13  The  fiscal  impact  of such program shall not be borne by customers and
    14  shall not be added to bills rendered  by  a  waterworks  corporation  or
    15  municipal water system to customers.
    16    (b)  A  waterworks  corporation or municipal water system which offers
    17  such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and
    18  amount of such discount on the website of such waterworks corporation or
    19  municipal water system. The availability and  amount  of  such  discount
    20  shall  also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the
    21  website of such waterworks corporation or municipal water system.
    22    2. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean  a  resident
    23  of  the state who (a) is the primary named waterworks or municipal water
    24  system service accountholder; (b) has had a total  household  income  of
    25  less  than  fifty  thousand  dollars for the most recent two consecutive
    26  income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as verified by  the
    27  department  of  taxation and finance; and (c) served in and who received
    28  any honorable or general discharge from the United  States  army,  navy,
    29  air force, marine corps, coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or
    30  the  army national guard, air national guard, New York guard or New York
    31  naval militia.
    32    § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 91-b to
    33  read as follows:
    34    § 91-b. Telephone discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding  any  other
    35  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a
    36  telephone  corporation  to  establish a discount program for veterans no
    37  later than ninety days after the effective date of  this  section.  Such
    38  program  shall  offer  a yearly benefit to veterans in the form of a ten
    39  percent discount on telephone bills. The fiscal impact of  such  program
    40  shall not be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered
    41  by a telephone corporation to customers.
    42    (b)  A  telephone corporation which offers such discount program shall
    43  conspicuously advertise the availability and amount of such discount  on
    44  the  website  of such telephone corporation. The availability and amount
    45  of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the  accessi-
    46  bility page of the website of such telephone corporation.
    47    (c)  Participation  in the federal government's Lifeline or Affordable
    48  Connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem
    49  sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone  corporation's  or  cable  tele-
    50  vision  company's obligation to establish a discount program under para-
    51  graph (a) of this subdivision, provided that  the  commission  deems  it
    52  sufficient to satisfy such requirements.
    53    (d)  Before  applying  a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi-
    54  sion, a telephone corporation may require proof of eligibility from  the
    55  primary  named  telephone service accountholder for the calendar year in
    56  which the discount is sought.
        S. 8491--B                          3

     1    2. (a) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a  resi-
     2  dent  of  the  state  who  (i)  is  the  primary named telephone service
     3  accountholder; (ii) has had a total household income of less than  fifty
     4  thousand  dollars  for  the most recent two consecutive income tax years
     5  beginning  in  two  thousand  nineteen, as verified by the department of
     6  taxation and finance; and (iii) served in and who received any honorable
     7  or general discharge from the  United  States  army,  navy,  air  force,
     8  marine  corps,  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army
     9  national guard, air national guard, New York guard  or  New  York  naval
    10  militia.
    11    (b)  A primary named telephone service accountholder shall provide the
    12  telephone corporation an authenticated copy  of  his  or  her  discharge
    13  papers to be eligible for such discount.
    14    §  4.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section 224-d
    15  to read as follows:
    16    § 224-d. Cable discount program.  1.  (a)  Notwithstanding  any  other
    17  provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a
    18  telephone  corporation,  as  defined in subdivision seventeen of section
    19  two of this chapter, and a  cable  television  company,  as  defined  in
    20  section  two hundred twelve of this article, that provides cable service
    21  to customers in New York, to establish a discount program  for  veterans
    22  no later than ninety days after the effective date of this section. Such
    23  program  shall  offer  a yearly benefit to veterans in the form of a ten
    24  percent discount on cable bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall
    25  not be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by  a
    26  telephone corporation or cable television company to customers.
    27    (b)  A  telephone corporation or cable television company which offers
    28  such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and
    29  amount of such discount on the website of such telephone corporation  or
    30  cable  television  company. The availability and amount of such discount
    31  shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of  the
    32  website of such telephone corporation or cable television company.
    33    (c)  Participation  in the federal government's Lifeline or Affordable
    34  Connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem
    35  sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone  corporation's  or  cable  tele-
    36  vision  company's obligation to establish a discount program under para-
    37  graph (a) of this subdivision, provided that  the  commission  deems  it
    38  sufficient to satisfy such requirements.
    39    (d)  Before  applying  a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi-
    40  sion, a telephone corporation or cable television  company  may  require
    41  proof  of eligibility from the primary named cable service accountholder
    42  for the calendar year in which the discount is sought.
    43    2. (a) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" shall mean a  resi-
    44  dent  of  the  state who (i) is the primary named cable service account-
    45  holder; (ii) has had a total household income of less than  fifty  thou-
    46  sand  dollars  for  the  most  recent  two  consecutive income tax years
    47  beginning in two thousand nineteen, as verified  by  the  department  of
    48  taxation  and  finance;  and  (iii)  received  any  honorable or general
    49  discharge from the United States army, navy, air  force,  marine  corps,
    50  coast guard and/or the reserves thereof, and/or the army national guard,
    51  air national guard, New York guard or New York naval militia.
    52    (b)  A  primary  named  cable  service accountholder shall provide the
    53  telephone corporation or the cable television company  an  authenticated
    54  copy of his or her discharge papers to be eligible for such discount.
    55    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.