Assembly Bill A1833

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1833
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to membership in the
   public service commission
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. Section 4 of the public service law, as amended by chapter
 155 of the laws of 1970, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 594 of  the
 laws  of  2021  and subdivision 4 as added by chapter 584 of the laws of
 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   § 4. The public service commission. 1. There shall be in  the  depart-
 ment  of public service a public service commission, which shall possess
 the powers and duties hereinafter specified, and also all powers  neces-
 sary  or  proper to enable it to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
 The commission shall consist of [five] SEVEN members, to be appointed by
 the governor, by and with the advice and consent of  the  senate.    TWO
 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL BE SELECTED FROM A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGAN-
 IZATION  WITH  A MISSION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION AND/OR SOCIAL JUSTICE OR
 HAVING A BACKGROUND IN CONSUMER PROTECTION AND/OR SOCIAL JUSTICE.    ONE
 MEMBER  OF  THE  SEVEN MEMBER COMMISSION SHALL BE A RESIDENT OF A NONAT-
 TAINMENT AREA. A commissioner shall be designated as [chairman] CHAIR of
 the commission by the governor to serve in such capacity at the pleasure
 of the governor or until [his] THE term as commissioner expires whichev-
 er first occurs. At least one  commissioner  shall  have  experience  in
 utility  consumer  advocacy. No more than [three] FIVE commissioners may
 be members of the same political party [unless, pursuant to action taken
 under subdivision 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.  [Notwithstanding  subdivision  one,  whenever the commission shall
 certify to the governor that additional commissioners are needed for the

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04519-01-5
              

 A. 1833                             2

 proper disposition of the business before it, the governor may  increase
 the  membership  of  the  commission  to seven members by appointing two
 additional commissioners by and with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the
 senate.  The  terms  of  office of such additional commissioners and the
 filling of vacancies during such terms shall be governed by  subdivision
 three,  except  that upon the expiration of the terms of such additional
 commissioners, no further appointments or reappointments shall  be  made
 to such additional offices, unless the commission shall first certify to
 the  governor  that  the  need for additional commissioners continues to
 exist.
   3.] The term of office of a commissioner shall be six years  from  the
 first  day  of  February of the calendar year in which [he] SUCH COMMIS-
 SIONER shall be appointed and commissioners shall serve on  a  full-time
 basis.  Upon a vacancy [occuring] OCCURRING otherwise than by expiration
 of term in the office of any commissioner, the governor, by and with the
 advice and consent of the senate, shall fill the vacancy by  appointment
 for the unexpired term.
   [4.]  3.  Any commissioner appointed on or after July first, two thou-
 sand twenty-two, pursuant to  this  section  shall  have  education  and
 training,  and  three  or more years of experience in one or more of the
 following fields:  economics,  engineering,  law,  accounting,  business
 management,  utility  regulation,  public  policy,  consumer advocacy or
 environmental management.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.