Assembly Bill A2320

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2320
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to filing gas safety
   reports
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a  new  section
 66-o to read as follows:
   §  66-O.  GAS  SAFETY REPORTS. 1. ON OR BEFORE MARCH FIFTEENTH OF EACH
 YEAR, EACH GAS CORPORATION SHALL FILE WITH THE DEPARTMENT 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 CORPO-
 RATION 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, AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE DEPARTMENT
 MAY REQUIRE. IF THERE HAS BEEN NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE  IN  A  GAS  CORPO-
 RATION'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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02147-01-7

 A. 2320                             2
 
   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 A DEFICIENCY  IN  A  GAS
 CORPORATION'S  PRIORITIZATION OR ADMINISTRATION OF ITS PIPELINE REPLACE-
 MENT 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  REASONABLE  IMPROVE-
 MENTS  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 immediately.