Senate Bill S1293

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Directs the department of public service to prepare a written report on the effect of the COVID-19 state of emergency on certain utilities and on the affordability of services

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2023-S1293 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Services
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
S5451

2023-S1293 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of public service to prepare written reports on the effect the COVID-19 state of emergency has on certain utilities of electric, gas, water, wastewater, and telephone service to commercial and residential customers in the state and on the affordability of services.

2023-S1293 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1293 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1293
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. PARKER, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele-
   communications
 
 AN  ACT  directing the department of public service to prepare a written
   report on the affordability of utility services

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings and declaration. In response to the
 COVID-19 pandemic, chapters 108 and 126 of the laws of 2020 were adopted
 to ensure that New Yorkers would not be deprived of gas, electric, water
 service, helping households follow the vital state policy of "sheltering
 in place."  The moratorium prohibited termination of utility services at
 a pivotal moment when it became evident that  sanitary  conditions  were
 required  to  combat  the  COVID-19  virus and keep New Yorkers safe and
 healthy, especially seniors and the medically vulnerable.  The  legisla-
 ture  finds  and  declares that it is unknown to the state the number of
 New Yorkers who had their services terminated or disconnected during the
 pandemic. The legislature finds that  many  utility  customers  rely  on
 continuous  service  for heat, water, and electricity to power necessary
 equipment, such as life-saving health care devices and other New Yorkers
 require cooling during extreme heat conditions and heat  during  extreme
 cold  conditions,  particularly when congregate care cooling and heating
 facilities are not safe for use by medically vulnerable households.  The
 legislature finds that the state requires comprehensive data  concerning
 New  Yorkers' ability to afford utility service, including the number of
 New Yorkers who had their services terminated or who  are  currently  at
 risk of termination during the pandemic. The legislature finds that this
 data  is  critical  to ascertain the effectiveness of the moratorium and
 other COVID-19 consumer protections, as well as the  disruptive  effects
 that  the  pandemic  has had on utility customers' finances, and utility
 finances and services, and the public  health,  safety  and  welfare  of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01633-01-3
              

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