Senate Bill S10433

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10433
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- 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 increasing the
   number of commissioners on the public service  commission  and  making
   additional requirements relating thereto

   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  594  of  the  laws  of 2021, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. (A) There shall be in the department of  public  service  a  public
 service commission, which shall possess the powers and duties hereinaft-
 er  specified,  and  also all powers necessary 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. A commissioner shall be designated  as
 [chairman]  CHAIRPERSON  of  the  commission by the governor to serve in
 such capacity at the pleasure of the governor or until [his] SUCH CHAIR-
 PERSON'S term as commissioner expires, whichever first occurs.
   (B) At least one commissioner shall have experience in utility consum-
 er advocacy.
   (C) WHEN FILLING A VACANCY OR VACANCIES AFTER THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  PARAGRAPH,  AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE NOT LESS THAN TEN
 YEARS OF DEMONSTRATED, OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE  UTILITY  INDUSTRY.
 FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SUBDIVISION, "OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE
 UTILITY INDUSTRY" SHALL MEAN DIRECT, HANDS-ON EMPLOYMENT OR PROFESSIONAL
 SERVICE IN ELECTRIC, GAS, OR STEAM UTILITY  OPERATIONS,  INCLUDING,  BUT
 NOT  LIMITED TO, ELECTRIC OR GAS GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION,
 SYSTEM OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, ENGINEERING, OR FIELD  SERVICES.    SUCH
 EXPERIENCE  SHALL  BE  OPERATIONAL  OR TECHNICAL IN NATURE AND SHALL NOT
 CONSIST OF EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT, SENIOR SUPERVISORY, FINANCIAL ADVISORY,
 OR LEGAL ADVISORY ROLES PERFORMED ON BEHALF OF A UTILITY CORPORATION  OR
 HOLDING  COMPANY.    IN  FULFILLING THIS REQUIREMENT, THE GOVERNOR SHALL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15794-02-6
 S. 10433                            2
 
 GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION TO CANDIDATES  WHOSE  QUALIFYING  EXPERIENCE  WAS
 ACQUIRED  AS A NON-SUPERVISORY OR NON-MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE INCLUDING AS A
 JOURNEYMAN, LINEMAN, PLANT OPERATOR, FIELD TECHNICIAN, OR SYSTEM  OPERA-
 TOR  OR  WHILE SERVING AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF UTILITY WORKERS IN MATTERS
 OF LABOR RELATIONS, WORKPLACE SAFETY, OR OPERATIONAL STANDARDS.
   (D) No more than [three] FOUR 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] SEVEN,
 and in such event no more than [four] FIVE commissioners may be  members
 of the same political party.
   §  2. Subdivision 2 of section 4 of the public service law, as amended
 by chapter 155 of the laws of 1970, is amended to read as follows:
   2. Notwithstanding subdivision  one  OF  THIS  SECTION,  whenever  the
 commission  shall  certify to the governor that additional commissioners
 are needed for the proper disposition of the  business  before  it,  the
 governor  may  increase the membership of the commission to [seven] NINE
 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 OF THIS  SECTION,  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. This act shall take effect immediately.