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Senate Bill S1623

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Requires utility companies to reimburse consumers in the event of a prolonged power outage

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

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2023-S1623 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7589
Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §77-a, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: S8523
2019-2020: S8879
2021-2022: S3784
2025-2026: S1846, A4232

2023-S1623 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires utility companies to reimburse consumers for spoilage of food and medication due to the lack of refrigeration in the event of a power outage lasting seventy-two hours or more.

2023-S1623 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1623 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1623
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY -- read twice and
   ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
   Energy and Telecommunications
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring utility
   companies to reimburse consumers in the event  of  a  prolonged  power
   outage

   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
 77-a to read as follows:
   §  77-A.  UTILITY REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.   1. IN THE EVENT THAT A
 RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMER OR SMALL BUSINESS  CUSTOMER  EXPERIENCES  A
 WIDESPREAD  PROLONGED  OUTAGE  LASTING  AT LEAST SEVENTY-TWO CONSECUTIVE
 HOURS OR MORE WITHOUT HAVING BEEN RESOLVED BY THE UTILITY  COMPANY,  THE
 UTILITY COMPANY SHALL:
   (A) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT OF ANY FOOD SPOILED DUE TO LACK OF REFRIGER-
 ATION.   RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMERS SHALL PROVIDE THE UTILITY COMPANY
 AN ITEMIZED LIST OF ALL FOOD SPOILED OR PROOF OF LOSS  OF  FOOD  SPOILED
 WITHIN  FOURTEEN DAYS OF THE OUTAGE. THE UTILITY COMPANY SHALL REIMBURSE
 THE CUSTOMER WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE RECEIPT OF THE ITEMIZED  LIST  OR
 PROOF  OF LOSS. THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED A TOTAL
 OF TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR CUSTOMERS WHO PROVIDE AN ITEMIZED
 LIST. THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR CUSTOMERS WHO PROVIDE PROOF OF
 LOSS SHALL NOT EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED FORTY DOLLARS.
   (B) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION  SPOILED  DUE  TO
 LACK  OF  REFRIGERATION. RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMERS SHALL PROVIDE THE
 UTILITY COMPANY WITH AN ITEMIZED LIST AND PROOF OF LOSS OF  PRESCRIPTION
 MEDICATION  DUE  TO  LACK  OF  REFRIGERATION WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THE
 OUTAGE.  THE UTILITY COMPANY SHALL REIMBURSE THE CUSTOMER WITHIN  THIRTY
 DAYS  OF  THE  RECEIPT  OF  THE  ITEMIZED  LIST  AND  PROOF  OF  LOSS OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03597-01-3
 S. 1623                             2

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