NY State Senate Bill S2155

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
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Actions

view actions (14)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Dec 28, 2020	committed to rules
Jan 27, 2020	advanced to third reading
Jan 23, 2020	2nd report cal.
Jan 22, 2020	1st report cal.233
Jan 08, 2020	referred to energy and telecommunications returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 03, 2019	referred to economic development delivered to assembly passed senate
May 30, 2019	advanced to third reading
May 29, 2019	2nd report cal.
May 22, 2019	1st report cal.886
Jan 22, 2019	referred to energy and telecommunications

Votes

view votes

Jan 22, 2020 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

S2155

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

show Energy and Telecommunications committee vote details

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: Jan 22, 2020

aye (6)

nay (3)

Jun 3, 2019 - floor Vote

S2155

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

May 22, 2019 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

S2155

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Co-Sponsors

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A966
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §4, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: A8406
2011-2012: S2517, A4905
2013-2014: S602, A2122
2015-2016: S2476, A4996
2017-2018: S3163, A4902
2021-2022: S1199, A5838

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires that at least one commissioner of the public service commission have experience in utility consumer advocacy.

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S2155

SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public service law, in relation to
requiring at least one commissioner of the public service commission to
have experience in utility consumer advocacy

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

By requiring that at least one member of the Public Service Commission
must be an experienced consumer advocate, this bill will help restore
the effectiveness of that body in ensuring that public utilities operate
in the best interest of the public.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Bill § 1 amends subdivision 1 of § 4 of the Public Service to add a
requirement that at least one commissioner of the Public Service Commis-
sion (PSC) must have experience in utility consumer advocacy.

EFFECTS OF PRESENT LAW WHICH THIS BILL WOULD ALTER:

Other than provisions for political party balance, there are currently
no statutory standards for appointments to the PSC. This stands in
marked contrast to statutes in many other states, which provide various
mechanisms for determining qualifications for utility regulators
-including requirements in two of our neighboring states that at least
one commissioner must have experience in consumer protection and advoca-
cy.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Public Service Commission is responsible for overseeing the oper-
ations of "public utilities" -- providers of energy, telecommunications
and cable services that provide essential services through the use of
public rights-of-way and similar common resources.  It has long been
recognized that, as was stated by then-Governor Franklin Roosevelt in
1932, the PSC is not a "mere arbitrator" but acts "as agent of the
public" in seeing that utilities "do two things: first, give people
adequate service; second, charge reasonable rates...."

In recent years, many people believe that the PSC has strayed from its
core mission of ensuring consumers receive adequate service at reason-
able rates. To rectify this situation, this legislation would require
that at least one PSC commissioner must have experience in advocating
for the interests of utility consumers. This provision is already in
force in the State of Connecticut (C.O.S. 516-2). Another of our neigh-
bors, Massachusetts, similarly requires that one of its commissioners
must have a background and experience in consumer protection and advoca-
cy issues (Mass. Gen. Laws title 25, 52).  Placing a dedicated consumer
representative on the PSC will help ensure that the interests of working
families, small businesses and other rate payers are not subordinated to
the interests of public utilities and other commercial interests that
are already well-represented in PSC proceedings.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018: Died in Energy and Telecommunications
2017: Died in Energy and Telecommunications
2016: Died in Energy and Telecommunications
2015: Died in Energy and Telecommunications
2014: Died in Energy and Telecommunications
2013: Senate Bi11602 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Energy and Telecommuni-
cations Committee
2012: Senate Bill 2517 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Rules Committee
2012: Assembly Bill 4905 (Simotas) - Died in Assembly Economic Develop-
ment Committee
2010: Assembly Bill 8406 (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Economic Develop-
ment Committee

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Thirtieth day after becoming law, and will apply to any appointments to
the PSC made on or after such date.

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2155
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Tele-
   communications
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law,  in  relation  to  requiring  at
   least  one commissioner of the public service commission to have expe-
   rience in utility consumer advocacy

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  1 of section 4 of the public service law, as
 amended by chapter 155 of the laws  of  1970,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1. There shall be in the department of public service a public service
 commission, which shall possess the powers and duties hereinafter speci-
 fied,  and also all powers necessary or proper to enable it to carry out
 the purposes of this chapter.  The  commission  shall  consist  of  five
 members,  to  be  appointed  by the governor, by and with the advice and
 consent of the senate. A commissioner shall be designated as chairman of
 the commission by the governor to serve in such capacity at the pleasure
 of the governor or until his  term  as  commissioner  expires  whichever
 first occurs. AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE EXPERIENCE IN UTILITY
 CONSUMER  ADVOCACY.  No  more than three commissioners may be members of
 the same political party unless, pursuant to action taken under subdivi-
 sion two OF THIS SECTION, the number of commissioners shall exceed five,
 and in such event no more than four commissioners may be members of  the
 same political party.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law and shall apply to appointments made on or after  such
 date.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01495-01-9

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S2155

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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Votes

Jan 22, 2020 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: Jan 22, 2020

Jun 3, 2019 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 3, 2019

May 22, 2019 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: May 22, 2019

Co-Sponsors

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Details

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S2155

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Sponsored By

Michael Gianaris

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Jan 22, 2020 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: Jan 22, 2020

Jun 3, 2019 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 3, 2019

May 22, 2019 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: May 22, 2019

Co-Sponsors

David Carlucci

Liz Krueger

Jen Metzger

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Details

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S2155 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments