Senate Bill S6619A

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 6619--A
    Cal. No. 188

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 14, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. SAVINO, MAZIARZ, ADDABBO, MARTINS, TKACZYK -- 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

AN  ACT  to  amend the public service law, in relation to public hearing
  requirements before a gas or electric corporation closes a call center

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 13 of section 65 of the public
service  law, as added by chapter 330 of the laws of 2010, is amended to
read as follows:
  (b) No gas or electric corporation shall close a call center or  other
facility providing the customer assistance set forth in paragraph (a) of
this subdivision or relocate such customer assistance to another area of
New  York  state or outside of New York state without notice and hearing
before the commission.  UPON RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT  TO
THIS PARAGRAPH, THE COMMISSION SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE PROCEEDING TO
INTERESTED PARTIES AND THE PUBLIC; AND SHALL PROMPTLY FIX A DATE FOR THE
COMMENCEMENT  OF A PUBLIC HEARING THEREON NOT LESS THAN SIXTY DAYS AFTER
SUCH RECEIPT. THE TESTIMONY PRESENTED AT SUCH HEARING MAY  BE  PRESENTED
IN  WRITING  OR  ORALLY,  PROVIDED  THAT  THE  COMMISSION MAY MAKE RULES
DESIGNED TO EXCLUDE REPETITIVE, REDUNDANT OR IRRELEVANT TESTIMONY  WHILE
GIVING  ALL INTERESTED PARTIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR DOCUMEN-
TARY AND/OR TESTIMONIAL EVIDENCE.  THE COMMISSION SHALL MAKE A RECORD OF
ALL TESTIMONY IN ALL CONTESTED HEARINGS. FOR PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION
"PUBLIC  HEARING"  MEANS A PUBLIC FORUM AT A PHYSICAL LOCATION, ATTENDED
BY COMMISSION MEMBERS  OR  THEIR  DESIGNEES,  WHERE  ORAL  TESTIMONY  IS
ACCEPTED  AND  WRITTEN  TESTIMONY  MAY BE SUBMITTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE
RECORD. SUCH FORUM SHALL BE OPEN TO PARTIES TO THE  PROCEEDING  AND  THE
GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THE PRESENTATION OF COMMENTS THAT SHALL BE LIMITED TO
RELEVANT  FACTS  DIRECTLY  RELATED  TO  THE PROCEEDING IN QUESTION. SUCH
HEARING SHALL BE COMMENCED UPON PROPER NOTICE  TO  THE  PARTIES  TO  THE

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD13865-03-4

S. 6619--A                          2

PROCEEDING  AND  THE  PUBLIC AT LEAST THIRTY DAYS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED
DATE.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.