Senate Bill S9065

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9065--A
     Cal. No. 636
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 28, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations  --  reported  favorably from said committee, ordered to first
   and second report, ordered to a third  reading,  amended  and  ordered
   reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

 AN  ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the reconnection
   of service for low-income customers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision 1 of section 35 of the public service law, as
 amended by chapter 686 of the laws  of  2002,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  The commission shall by regulation establish reasonable conditions
 under which an electric or gas  corporation  or  municipality  shall  be
 required  to  take all actions within such corporation or municipality's
 control and, where applicable, consistent  with  the  provision  of  the
 agreement for commodity service, if any, between the corporation and the
 customer,  provided  such provisions are consistent with this article to
 reconnect  service  to  residential  customers.  Such  conditions  shall
 include, but not be limited to, requirements for reconnection of service
 within  twenty-four  hours, unless prevented by circumstances beyond the
 utility's or municipality's control, (a) upon receipt by  a  corporation
 or  municipality  of the full amount of arrears which were the basis for
 termination of service, (b) upon the signing of a deferred payment  plan
 together  with a down payment based on criteria to be established by the
 commission, provided that no such down payment shall  exceed  [one-half]
 ONE-THIRD  of  the  amount  which  was  the basis of termination, or the
 amount of [three months billing] THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S BILL, whichever is
 less, (c) upon the direction of the commission, (d) upon the receipt  of
 a  commitment of a direct payment or a written guarantee of payment from
 the social services official of the social services  district  in  which
 the  customer  resides  [or],  (e) where the utility or municipality has
 notice that a serious impairment to health or safety is likely to result
 if service is not reconnected OR (F) WHERE  A  LOW-INCOME  CUSTOMER  HAS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14396-02-6
 S. 9065--A                          2
 
 DEMONSTRATED  AN  INABILITY TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT OF ARREARS WHICH WERE
 THE BASIS FOR TERMINATION OF SERVICE, UPON THE SIGNING OF A RECONNECTION
 PLAN WHERE SUCH LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER SHALL PAY NO MORE THAN THREE PERCENT
 OF SUCH CUSTOMER'S MONTHLY INCOME ON THEIR ELECTRIC SERVICE, AND NO MORE
 THAN  THREE  PERCENT  OF  SUCH CUSTOMER'S MONTHLY INCOME ON GAS SERVICE,
 PLUS SUCH CUSTOMER'S CURRENT MONTHLY BILL. FOR COMBINATION ELECTRIC  AND
 GAS  CUSTOMERS,  SUCH  LOW-INCOME  CUSTOMER  SHALL  PAY NO MORE THAN SIX
 PERCENT OF SUCH CUSTOMER'S MONTHLY INCOME PLUS SUCH  CUSTOMER'S  CURRENT
 MONTHLY  BILL.  With  respect  to  reconnection  on the basis of serious
 impairment of health or safety doubts shall  be  resolved  in  favor  of
 reconnection of service. The [chairman] CHAIR shall designate such offi-
 cers and employees as [he] SUCH CHAIR deems necessary to act on requests
 for  service  reconnections.    FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, A
 "LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER" SHALL MEAN ANY CUSTOMER WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME  IS
 LOWER  THAN  THE  STATE MEDIAN INCOME, REGARDLESS OF IF SUCH CUSTOMER IS
 ENROLLED IN A UTILITY COMPANY'S ENERGY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM, OR IF SUCH
 CUSTOMER IS THE RECIPIENT OF ANY FORM OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such effective date.