Assembly Bill A714A

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  714--A
                                                          Cal. No. 36
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, DINOWITZ, GALEF, OTIS, SEAWRIGHT, COLTON,
   D'URSO,  ORTIZ, BARRON, RODRIGUEZ, DE LA ROSA, BUCHWALD -- Multi-Spon-
   sored by -- M. of A. COOK, NIOU --  read  once  and  referred  to  the
   Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions -- ordered to a
   third  reading,  amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on
   the order of third reading
 
 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-q to read as follows:
   § 66-Q. 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-
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00764-02-0

 A. 714--A                           2
 
 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.
   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.