Bill Text: NY S08968 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Increases the number of members in the public service commission from five to seven members and provides requirements for certain members of the commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-09-04 - REFERRED TO RULES [S08968 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08968-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8968 IN SENATE September 4, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- 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 membership in the public service commission The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 4 of the public service law, as amended by chapter 2 155 of the laws of 1970, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 4. The public service commission. 1. There shall be in the depart- 4 ment of public service a public service commission, which shall possess 5 the powers and duties hereinafter specified, and also all powers neces- 6 sary or proper to enable it to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 7 The commission shall consist of [five] seven members, to be appointed by 8 the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate. At least 9 two members of the commission shall have significant backgrounds in 10 utility consumer advocacy. Members of the commission shall be chosen to 11 be representative of the racial, ethnic and geographic diversity of the 12 state. A commissioner shall be designated as chairman of the commission 13 by the governor to serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the gover- 14 nor or until his or her term as commissioner expires whichever first 15 occurs. No more than [three] five commissioners may be members of the 16 same political party [unless, pursuant to action taken under subdivision17two, the number of commissioners shall exceed five, and in such event no18more than four commissioners may be members of the same political19party]. 20 2. [Notwithstanding subdivision one, whenever the commission shall21certify to the governor that additional commissioners are needed for the22proper disposition of the business before it, the governor may increase23the membership of the commission to seven members by appointing two24additional commissioners by and with the advice and consent of the25senate. The terms of office of such additional commissioners and the26filling of vacancies during such terms shall be governed by subdivision27three, except that upon the expiration of the terms of such additional28commissioners, no further appointments or reappointments shall be madeEXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD17276-01-0S. 8968 2 1to such additional offices, unless the commission shall first certify to2the governor that the need for additional commissioners continues to3exist.43.] The term of office of a commissioner shall be six years from the 5 first day of February of the calendar year in which he or she shall be 6 appointed and commissioners shall serve on a full-time basis. Upon a 7 vacancy [occuring] occurring otherwise than by expiration of term in the 8 office of any commissioner, the governor, by and with the advice and 9 consent of the senate, shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the 10 unexpired term. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.