Bill Text: NY S08492 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to establishing discount programs for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability; provides that utilities, water-works corporations, telephone corporations and cable television companies shall create discount programs that provide a 10 percent discount to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability; defines terms.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-06-03 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S08492 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S08492-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8492--B Cal. No. 923 IN SENATE March 7, 2022 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, CLEARE, GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications -- 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 low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability 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 low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 7 disability no later than ninety days after the effective date of this 8 section. Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to low-income senior 9 citizens and individuals with a disability in the form of a ten percent 10 discount on utility bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall not 11 be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by a gas 12 corporation, electric corporation or municipality to customers. 13 (b) A gas corporation, electric corporation or municipality which 14 offers such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the avail- 15 ability and amount of such discount on the website of such gas corpo- 16 ration, electric corporation or municipality. The availability and 17 amount of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the 18 accessibility page of the website of such gas corporation, electric 19 corporation or municipality. 20 2. For the purposes of this section: 21 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 22 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14944-04-2S. 8492--B 2 1 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 2 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 3 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 4 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as 5 verified by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 6 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 7 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 8 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 9 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 10 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 11 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 12 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 13 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 14 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 15 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 16 and 17 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 18 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 19 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 20 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 21 income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as verified by the 22 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 23 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 24 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 25 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 26 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q to 27 read as follows: 28 § 89-q. Water discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 29 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require 30 waterworks corporations and municipal water systems to establish a 31 discount program for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 32 disability no later than ninety days after the effective date of this 33 section. Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to low-income senior 34 citizens and individuals with a disability in the form of a ten percent 35 discount on water utility bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall 36 not be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by a 37 waterworks corporation or municipal water system to customers. 38 (b) A waterworks corporation or municipal water system which offers 39 such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and 40 amount of such discount on the website of such waterworks corporations 41 or municipal water system. The availability and amount of such discount 42 shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the 43 website of such waterworks corporation or municipal water system. 44 2. For the purposes of this section: 45 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 46 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 47 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 48 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 49 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 50 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as 51 verified by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 52 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 53 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 54 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 55 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 56 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by theS. 8492--B 3 1 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 2 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 3 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 4 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 5 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 6 and 7 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 8 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 9 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 10 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 11 income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as verified by the 12 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 13 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 14 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 15 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 16 § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 91-b to 17 read as follows: 18 § 91-b. Telephone discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 19 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a 20 telephone corporation to establish a discount program for low-income 21 senior citizens and individuals with a disability no later than ninety 22 days after the effective date of this section. Such program shall offer 23 a yearly benefit to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 24 disability in the form of a ten percent discount on telephone bills. The 25 fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers and shall 26 not be added to bills rendered by a telephone corporation to customers. 27 (b) A telephone corporation which offers such discount program shall 28 conspicuously advertise the availability and amount of such discount on 29 the website of such telephone corporation. The availability and amount 30 of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessi- 31 bility page of the website of such telephone corporation. 32 (c) Participation in the federal government's lifeline or affordable 33 connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem 34 sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone corporation's obligation to 35 establish a discount program under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, 36 unless the commission deems it insufficient to satisfy such require- 37 ments. 38 (d) Before applying a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi- 39 sion, a telephone corporation may require proof of eligibility from the 40 primary named accountholder for the calendar year in which the discount 41 is sought. 42 2. For the purposes of this section: 43 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 44 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 45 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 46 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 47 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 48 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as 49 verified by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 50 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 51 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 52 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 53 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 54 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 55 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 56 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security incomeS. 8492--B 4 1 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 2 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 3 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 4 and 5 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named telephone 6 service accountholder who (i) is at least sixty-five years of age; and 7 (ii) either (A) has had a total household income of less than fifty 8 thousand dollars for two consecutive income tax years beginning in two 9 thousand nineteen, as verified by the department of taxation and 10 finance; or (B) is annually eligible to receive assistance under the 11 emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) or the home energy assist- 12 ance program (HEAP) and provides proof of eligibility from the agency 13 administering ERAP or HEAP. 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 low-income 22 senior citizens and individuals with a disability no later than ninety 23 days after the effective date of this section. Such program shall offer 24 a yearly benefit to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 25 disability in the form of a ten percent discount on cable bills. The 26 fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers and shall 27 not be added to bills rendered by a telephone corporation or cable tele- 28 vision company to customers. 29 (b) A telephone corporation or cable television company which offers 30 such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and 31 amount of such discount on the website of such telephone corporation or 32 cable television company. The availability and amount of such discount 33 shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the 34 website of such telephone corporation or cable television company. 35 (c) Participation in the federal government's lifeline or affordable 36 connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem 37 sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone corporation's or cable tele- 38 vision company's obligation to establish a discount program under para- 39 graph (a) of this subdivision, unless the commission deems it insuffi- 40 cient to satisfy such requirements. 41 (d) Before applying a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi- 42 sion, a telephone corporation or cable television company may require 43 proof of eligibility from the primary named accountholder for the calen- 44 dar year in which the discount is sought. 45 2. For the purposes of this section: 46 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 47 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 48 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 49 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 50 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 51 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as 52 verified by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 53 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 54 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 55 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 56 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa-S. 8492--B 5 1 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 2 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 3 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 4 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 5 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 6 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 7 and 8 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 9 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 10 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 11 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 12 income tax years beginning in two thousand nineteen, as verified by the 13 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 14 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 15 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 16 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 17 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
