The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3042--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SAYEGH, DICKENS, GRIFFIN, SIMON, GALEF, MONTESA-
   NO, SEAWRIGHT,  DeSTEFANO,  GOTTFRIED,  THIELE,  SANTABARBARA,  TAGUE,
   DURSO, LEMONDES, LAWLER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. B. MILLER --
   read  once  and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities
   and  Commissions  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,   ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public service law and the public authorities law,
   in relation to requiring electric  companies  to  provide  alternative
   measures  to  ensure  customers  are able to maintain their health and
   well-being during power outages
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subparagraph  (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of
 section 66 of the public service law, as added by section 4 of part X of
 chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (iii) identification of and outreach plans to customers who had  docu-
 mented their need for essential electricity for medical needs, INCLUDING
 PROVISIONS  REGARDING  HOW SUCH CUSTOMERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ALTERNA-
 TIVE MEASURES TO ENSURE THEIR HEALTH  AND  WELL-BEING  IF  POWER  CANNOT
 ADEQUATELY  BE PROVIDED.   SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL INCLUDE PROVIDING ELEC-
 TRIC GENERATORS OR LODGING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRING  SUCH  ESSENTIAL
 ELECTRICITY  FOR  MEDICAL NEEDS AND SHALL ALSO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION OF
 MEDICAL DEVICES, AS NEEDED.  SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL ALSO SPECIFY THAT ANY
 COST INCURRED BY AN ELECTRIC COMPANY IN PROVIDING SUCH ALTERNATIVE MEAS-
 URES SHALL NOT BE BORNE BY RATE PAYERS;
   § 2. Paragraph 1 of subdivision (cc) of section 1020-f of  the  public
 authorities  law,  as added by section 7 of part A of chapter 173 of the
 laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   1. The service provider shall, in  consultation  with  the  authority,
 prepare  and  maintain  an  emergency  response  plan  (i) to assure the
 reasonably prompt restoration of service in the  case  of  an  emergency
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02594-07-1

 A. 3042--A                          2
 
 event,  defined for purposes of this subdivision as an event where wide-
 spread outages have occurred in the authority's service territory due to
 a storm or other causes beyond the control  of  the  authority  and  the
 service provider, (ii) consistent with the requirements of paragraph (a)
 of subdivision twenty-one of section sixty-six of the public service law
 and  any  regulations and orders adopted thereto, and (iii) establishing
 the separate responsibilities of the  authority  and  service  provider.
 SUCH  EMERGENCY  RESPONSE  PLAN  SHALL  INCLUDE PROVISIONS REGARDING HOW
 CUSTOMERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ALTERNATIVE  MEASURES  TO  ENSURE  THEIR
 HEALTH  AND  WELL-BEING  IF  POWER  CANNOT  ADEQUATELY BE PROVIDED. SUCH
 PROVISIONS SHALL INCLUDE PROVIDING ELECTRIC GENERATORS  OR  LODGING  FOR
 ANY  INDIVIDUAL  REQUIRING  ESSENTIAL  ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS AND
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES, AS NEEDED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.