NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8534

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Oct 20, 2025	referred to rules

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §66-x, Pub Serv L; add §99-tt, St Fin L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S2353
2021-2022: S3228
2023-2024: S2619

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing the furloughed or non-pay federal workers revolving loan program and fund; provides zero percent interest loans 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 appropriations by the federal government in order to assist such customers in paying their electric and gas bills.

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8534

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law and the state finance law, in
relation to establishing the furloughed or non-pay federal workers
revolving loan program and fund; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OF GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To establish the furloughed or non-pay federal workers revolving loan
program and fund.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the public service law is amended by adding a new section
66-p; furloughed or non-pay federal workers loan program.  The Public
Service Commission shall:

1. Create a furloughed or non-pay federal workers revolving loan program

in order to provide zero percent interest loans 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
appropriations by the federal government in order to assist such custom-
ers in paying their electric and gas bills.

2. Make loans for the payment of electric and gas bills by eligible
customers.

3. Receive application for loans by 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 appropriations by
the federal government. Every application shall be in a form acceptable
to the commission and shall require documentation demonstrating finan-
cial need and that the applicant has been furloughed or designated non-
pay as a result of a period of a lapse in discretionary appropriations
by the federal government.

Section 2 amends the state finance law by adding a new section 99-ff to
establish furloughed or non-pay federal workers revolving loan fund by
joint custody of the comptroller and the public service commission. Such
fund shall consist of moneys made available pursuant to appropriation
and any other sources in order to provide zero percent interest loans to
residential electric and natural gas customers who have been either
furloughed or designated non-pay federal employees pursuant to section
sixty-six-p of the public service law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

With no end in sight, the Federal Government shutdown of 2019 represents
an unprecedented loss of income for the many federal government workers
in New York State. Unfortunately, during this cold winter, the demands
of expensive utility bills are very real. When the Federal Government
has failed us, New York State should do whatever we can to help families
to pay their expensive utilities on time. It is imperative utility loans
become available for the furloughed workers who will not receive compen-
sation until the Federal Government shutdown of 2019 is over.  This
legislation will, assist furloughed workers in utility payment and
protect Federal Employees and their families from the economic loss of
having to borrow money at high interest rates to pay their expensive
winter utility bills. In addition, the available loans will protect
Federal employees and their families from possible damage to their cred-
it by not being able to make utility payments.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019 - Energy & Telecommunications

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8534
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law and the  state  finance  law,  in
   relation  to  establishing  the  furloughed or non-pay federal workers
   revolving loan program and fund; 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-x to read as follows:
   §  66-X.  FURLOUGHED  OR  NON-PAY FEDERAL WORKERS LOAN PROGRAM. 1. THE
 COMMISSION SHALL CREATE A FURLOUGHED OR NON-PAY FEDERAL WORKERS  REVOLV-
 ING  LOAN  PROGRAM  IN  ORDER  TO PROVIDE ZERO PERCENT INTEREST LOANS 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 APPROPRIATIONS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ORDER
 TO ASSIST SUCH CUSTOMERS IN PAYING THEIR ELECTRIC AND GAS BILLS.
   2. (A) THE COMMISSION MAY MAKE, UPON APPLICATION DULY MADE, UP TO  THE
 AMOUNTS  AVAILABLE  BY  APPROPRIATION, LOANS FOR THE PAYMENT OF ELECTRIC
 AND GAS BILLS BY ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS.
   (B) THE COMMISSION SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE SUCH RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS  AS  MAY  BE  NECESSARY AND PROPER TO EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES OF
 THIS SECTION.
   3. (A) APPLICATION FOR LOANS MAY BE MADE BY 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
 APPROPRIATIONS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
   (B)  EVERY APPLICATION SHALL BE IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMISSION
 AND SHALL REQUIRE DOCUMENTATION DEMONSTRATING FINANCIAL  NEED  AND  THAT
 THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED OR DESIGNATED NON-PAY AS A RESULT OF A
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13928-01-5
 S. 8534                             2

 
 PERIOD OF A LAPSE IN DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERN-
 MENT.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-tt to
 read as follows:
   § 99-TT. FURLOUGHED OR NON-PAY FEDERAL WORKERS REVOLVING LOAN FUND. 1.
 THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMPTROLLER AND
 THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE  "FURLOUGHED  OR
 NON-PAY  FEDERAL WORKER REVOLVING LOAN FUND". SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF
 MONEYS MADE AVAILABLE PURSUANT TO APPROPRIATION AND ANY OTHER SOURCES IN
 ORDER TO PROVIDE ZERO PERCENT INTEREST LOANS TO RESIDENTIAL ELECTRIC AND
 NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE  BEEN  EITHER  FURLOUGHED  OR  DESIGNATED
 NON-PAY  FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTY-SIX-X OF THE PUBLIC
 SERVICE LAW.
   2. THE FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS APPROPRIATED FOR ITS  PURPOSE,
 ALL  MONEYS  TRANSFERRED  TO  SUCH  FUND PURSUANT TO LAW, AND ALL MONEYS
 REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION OR ANY OTHER LAW TO BE PAID INTO OR CREDITED TO
 THIS FUND, INCLUDING ALL MONEYS RECEIVED BY THE FUND OR DONATED  TO  IT,
 PAYMENTS  OF  PRINCIPAL  ON  LOANS  MADE FROM THE FUND, AND ANY INTEREST
 EARNINGS WHICH MAY ACCRUE FROM THE INVESTMENT OR REINVESTMENT OF  MONEYS
 FROM THE FUND.
   3.  MONEYS  OF  THE  FUND,  WHEN  ALLOCATED, SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO THE
 PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO MAKE LOANS AS PROVIDED  IN  SECTION  SIXTY-
 SIX-X OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW. UP TO FIVE PERCENT OF THE MONEYS OF THE
 FUND  MAY  BE  USED  TO PAY THE EXPENSES, INCLUDING PERSONAL SERVICE AND
 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH
 LOANS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed one year after it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S8534

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments