Senate Bill S2616

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2616
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the establishment
   of  reduced  residential rates for electric and natural gas service to
   furloughed or non-pay federal workers; and providing for the repeal of
   such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   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
 66-u to read as follows:
   § 66-U. REDUCED RESIDENTIAL RATES FOR ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS SERVICE
 TO FURLOUGHED OR NON-PAY FEDERAL  CUSTOMERS.  1.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL
 REQUIRE  ELECTRIC  AND NATURAL GAS CORPORATIONS TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMS OF
 RATE REDUCTION AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTIAL ELECTRIC AND  NATURAL
 GAS  CUSTOMERS  WHO  HAVE  BEEN  EITHER FURLOUGHED OR DESIGNATED NON-PAY
 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DUE TO A PERIOD OF A LAPSE IN DISCRETIONARY  APPROPRI-
 ATIONS  BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE REVENUE IMPACT OF WHICH SHALL NOT
 BE BORNE SOLELY BY ANY SINGLE CLASS OF CUSTOMER.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL
 ENSURE  APPROPRIATE  LEVELS  OF  RATE  REDUCTION  FOR  SUCH ELECTRIC AND
 NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS TO MITIGATE HARDSHIP.  IN ESTABLISHING THE  APPRO-
 PRIATE  PERCENTAGE  REDUCTION  THE COMMISSION SHALL ENSURE TO THE EXTENT
 FEASIBLE THAT RATEPAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED OR DESIGNATED  NON-PAY
 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE NOT JEOPARDIZED OR OVERBURDENED BY RATES FOR ELEC-
 TRIC AND NATURAL GAS SERVICE.
   2.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  CUSTOMER INCOME AND CATEGORICAL
 ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS FOR REDUCED RATES, WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE,  WITHOUT
 LIMITATION,  CUSTOMERS  PROVIDING  DOCUMENTATION DEMONSTRATING THAT THEY
 HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED OR DESIGNATED NON-PAY AS A RESULT OF A PERIOD OF  A
 LAPSE IN DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06366-01-3
 S. 2616                             2
              

 
   3.  THE COMMISSION SHALL REQUIRE PROVIDERS OF ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS
 SERVICE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FORMS FOR  REDUCED  RATES
 TO  ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS ON THEIR WEBSITES, AT THEIR OFFICES, AND BY OTHER
 MEANS, AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY AND  ELIGI-
 BILITY  STANDARDS FOR REDUCED RATES TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AT THE TIME
 OF SERVICE INITIATION, IN BILL INSERTS, IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH CUSTOMERS
 IN ARREARS, AND BY OTHER MEANS REQUIRED OR APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION.
   4. THE COMMISSION SHALL REQUIRE ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS  CORPORATIONS
 TO  ESTABLISH  REDUCED RATES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION TO BE EFFECTIVE NO
 LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND  TO
 FILE PERIODIC REPORTS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS RECEIV-
 ING  REDUCED RATES, UTILITY EFFORTS TO PROVIDE REDUCED RESIDENTIAL RATES
 TO ALL CUSTOMERS ELIGIBLE FOR THEM, AND OTHER INFORMATION DEEMED  NECES-
 SARY  OR  APPROPRIATE BY THE COMMISSION FOR THE EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION
 OF THE REDUCED RATES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed one year after it shall have become a law.