S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    978
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public service law, in relation to requiring gas
   corporations to file gas safety reports
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 66-s of the public service law, as added by a chap-
 ter  of  the  laws  of  2022 amending the public service law relating to
 filing gas safety reports, as proposed in legislative bills  numbers  S.
 1380-A  and A. 129-A,  is renumbered section 66-u and amended to read as
 follows:
   § 66-u. Gas safety reports. 1. On or before  [March  fifteenth]  APRIL
 THIRTIETH of each year, each gas corporation shall file with the depart-
 ment  a  gas  safety  report. The department shall review the reports to
 monitor each gas corporation's pipeline  replacement  projects  and  all
 other  activities  related to providing safe and reliable gas service in
 order to determine whether the projects or activities are being  carried
 out  in  a  manner consistent with this chapter, the commission's rules,
 regulations and orders, and  any  practice  the  department  has  deemed
 necessary  for  the provision of safe and reliable service, and to track
 how each gas corporation is spending any funds  allocated  for  pipeline
 replacement  projects and all other activities related to providing safe
 and reliable gas service.
   2. The gas safety report provided  for  in  subdivision  one  of  this
 section  shall  include  a  thorough  description and explanation of the
 strategic planning and decision-making methodology used to determine and
 prioritize pipeline replacement projects, a description  of  the  corpo-
 ration's  operation  and maintenance activities related to gas safety, a
 description of the corporation's inspections of  its  intrastate  trans-
 mission  and  distribution lines, LEAK REPAIR INFORMATION, and any other
 information the department may require. If there has been no substantial
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04308-01-3
              

 A. 978                              2
 
 change in a gas corporation's safety report since the gas safety  report
 most  recently  filed with the department, the corporation, with consent
 of the department, may file an updated version of such report.
   2-a. A gas corporation shall also include with its gas safety report a
 list  of  pipeline  replacement  projects completed by a gas corporation
 within the last year[; such list  shall  indicate  which  projects  were
 completed  with  a  gas  corporation's  own  employees  and  which  were
 completed by contractors. The commission may also  order  a  gas  corpo-
 ration to submit an independent cost benefit analysis which examines the
 gas corporation's use of its own employees and its use of contractors to
 complete pipeline replacement projects].
   3.  [If  the  department  determines that there is] THE COMMISSION MAY
 TAKE ANY ACTION TO ADDRESS AND/OR PREVENT a deficiency in a  gas  corpo-
 ration's  prioritization  or  administration of its pipeline replacement
 projects or operation and maintenance activities related to gas  safety,
 [the department shall notify the commission at the next scheduled public
 session and shall provide a brief description of the facts and nature of
 the  deficiency. The commission may order] INCLUDING ORDERING reasonable
 improvements that will best promote the public  interest,  preserve  the
 public  health  and  protect  those  using  gas pursuant to those powers
 provided to the commission as provided in this  chapter,  including  but
 not limited to those in section sixty-six of this article.
   §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2022 amending the public service  law
 relating  to filing gas safety reports, as proposed in legislative bills
 numbers S.  1380-A and A. 129-A, takes effect.