NY State Senate Bill S1199

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (13)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Nov 08, 2021	signed chap.594
Oct 27, 2021	delivered to governor
May 12, 2021	returned to senate passed assembly
May 05, 2021	ordered to third reading cal.261 substituted for a5838
Feb 23, 2021	referred to economic development delivered to assembly passed senate
Feb 08, 2021	advanced to third reading
Feb 03, 2021	2nd report cal.
Feb 02, 2021	1st report cal.250
Jan 08, 2021	referred to energy and telecommunications

Votes

view votes

Feb 23, 2021 - floor Vote

S1199

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Feb 2, 2021 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

S1199

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Co-Sponsors

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5838
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
2019-2020: S2155, A966

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S1199

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 experi-
ence in utility consumer advocacy

 
PURPOSE:

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 PROVISIONS:

Section 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.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
EXISTING LAW:

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.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020: Reported from Energy and Telecommunications, Died in Assembly

2019: Passed Senate, Died in Assembly

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 Bill602 (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:

None.

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

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

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1199
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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.
                                                            LBD03151-01-1

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S1199

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor

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Votes

Feb 23, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Feb 23, 2021

Feb 2, 2021 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: Feb 2, 2021

Co-Sponsors

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S1199

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Sponsored By

Michael Gianaris

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Feb 23, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Feb 23, 2021

Feb 2, 2021 - Energy and Telecommunications committee Vote

Energy and Telecommunications Committee Vote: Feb 2, 2021

Co-Sponsors

James Gaughran

Michelle Hinchey

Anna M. Kaplan

Liz Krueger

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1199 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments