S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2673
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 20, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMOTAS, CAHILL, HEVESI, WEPRIN, COLTON, ROSEN-
   THAL, PERRY, JAFFEE, HOOPER, MOYA -- Multi-Sponsored by --  M.  of  A.
   GLICK, LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
 
 AN  ACT  to direct the public service commission to undertake a study of
   consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and utilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The New York State public service commission shall under-
 take an immediate study of  consumer  protections  adopted  by  electric
 corporations  and  municipalities ("utilities") pursuant to article 2 of
 the public service law and provide a report to the governor, the  tempo-
 rary  president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of
 the senate committee on energy and telecommunications and the  chair  of
 the  assembly committee on energy. Such report shall include an analysis
 of the effectiveness of current utility procedures for notifying custom-
 ers in arrears on utility charges of how they may avoid  termination  of
 electric,  gas  or steam service, including the availability of deferred
 payment agreements. In addition, such report shall review  the  adequacy
 of the commission's assistance to customers negotiating deferred payment
 agreements  with utilities in lieu of disconnection of service including
 the number of deferred payment plans by utility service  territory;  the
 number of incidences, if any, in which utilities have required more than
 the  lawfully  allowed  level of down payments or deferred payments from
 customers seeking to connect service or avoid disconnection; the  effec-
 tiveness and availability of the commission's shutoff hotline in receiv-
 ing  calls  from customers facing termination of electric, gas and steam
 service; the call volume to such hotline in each utility service  terri-
 tory;  the  monthly  number  of  electric  and natural gas customers who
 previously received utility bill assistance from the Home Energy Assist-
 ance Program whose service was terminated for bill  collection  purposes
 in  each  utility  service  area in the previous calendar year, provided
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00641-01-7

 A. 2673                             2
 
 further that the commission shall  require  each  utility  provide  such
 information while maintaining customer confidentiality; and any proposed
 legislative  remedies  necessary  to increase customer awareness of such
 hotline. The report shall be made available to the public on the commis-
 sion's website.
   §  2. The New York State public service commission shall seek comments
 from utilities, municipalities, consumer advocates and  the  public  and
 may  include  in the report recommendations to improve existing consumer
 protection policies.
   § 3. If the study pursuant to section one of this act is not  received
 by  November  15,  2018,  the  commission  shall  institute a moratorium
 preventing utility corporations from terminating electric, gas or  steam
 service  to any residential customer in arrears with whom it has entered
 into an agreement for the provision of  such  services.  The  moratorium
 shall last for the period beginning December 1, 2018 and ending on March
 31,  2019.  Nothing  in this act shall be construed to prevent a utility
 corporation from charging customers for electric, gas or  steam  service
 or  from  offering a deferred payment agreement for the period beginning
 December 1, 2018 and ending on March 31, 2019.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.