Senate Bill S9195

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9195
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 13, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CHAN  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to  establishing  a  rate
   counsel in the utility intervention unit
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 94-a  of
 the  executive  law,  paragraph  (a) as added by section 21 of part A of
 chapter 62 of the laws of 2011 and paragraph (b) as amended  by  section
 12  of part A of chapter 173 of the laws of 2013, are amended to read as
 follows:
   (a) There is established within the division [a] AN INDEPENDENT  state
 utility  intervention  unit WHICH SHALL BE HEADED BY A RATE COUNSEL, WHO
 SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR BY AND WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF
 THE SENATE. THE RATE COUNSEL MAY APPOINT STAFF AND  PERFORM  SUCH  FUNC-
 TIONS FOR THE EFFICIENT OPERATION WITH THE AMOUNTS MADE AVAILABLE THERE-
 FOR BY APPROPRIATION.
   (b) The utility intervention unit shall have the power and duty to:
   (i)  [on  behalf of the secretary,] initiate, intervene in, or partic-
 ipate in any proceedings before the public  service  commission  or  the
 department  of  public  service,  to  the  extent authorized by sections
 three-b, twenty-four-a, seventy-one, eighty-four or  ninety-six  of  the
 public  service  law or any other applicable provision of law, where [he
 or she] SUCH UNIT deems such initiation, intervention  or  participation
 to  be  necessary or appropriate TO PROTECT SAFE AND RELIABLE SERVICE AT
 RATES WHICH ARE WITHIN MARKET NORMS;
   (ii) represent the interests of consumers of the state before federal,
 state and local administrative and regulatory agencies  engaged  in  the
 regulation of energy services;
   (iii)  accept  and investigate complaints of any kind from Long Island
 power authority consumers, attempt  to  mediate  such  complaints  where
 appropriate  directly  with  such  authority and refer complaints to the
 appropriate state or local agency authorized by law to take action  with
 respect to such complaints; and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14799-01-6
 S. 9195                             2
 
   (iv)  hold  regular  forums  in each of the service territories of the
 combination gas and electric corporations, as defined under section  two
 of  the  public  service  law,  and  the  Long Island power authority to
 educate consumers about utility-related matters and the regulatory proc-
 ess, opportunities to lower energy costs, including through energy effi-
 ciency   and   distributed   generation,  and  other  matters  affecting
 consumers, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE THE EXAMINATION OF THE  APPORTIONMENT  OF
 COSTS  WITH  RESPECT  TO  RATES  FOR  CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AMONG UTILITY
 CUSTOMERS TO DETERMINE THAT SUCH CHARGES ARE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG
 RATEPAYERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.