Senate Bill S7668

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to a moratorium on utility termination of services due to the COVID-19 pandemic; repealer

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last 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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2021-S7668 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9306
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Rpld §32 subs 8 & 9, §89-b subs 10 & 11, §89-l subs 5 & 5-a, amd §§32, 89-b & 89-l, Pub Serv L

2021-S7668 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits utility termination of services due to the COVID-19 pandemic for residential and small business customers who experience a financial hardship due to the pandemic.

2021-S7668 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S7668 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7668
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 prohibiting
   termination of utility services due to financial  hardship  caused  by
   the COVID-19 pandemic; repealing certain provisions of such law relat-
   ing  thereto;  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.  Subdivisions  8 and 9 of section 32 of the public service
 law are REPEALED and four new subdivisions 8, 9, 11 and 12 are added  to
 read as follows:
   8.  EVERY  UTILITY CORPORATION OR MUNICIPALITY SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE TO
 RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS, IN A WRITING  TO  BE  INCLUDED
 WITH  A BILL STATEMENT OR, WHEN APPROPRIATE, VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
 THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL FURTHER MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS
 TO CONTACT CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A FINANCIAL  HARDSHIP  DUE  TO
 THE  COVID-19  PANDEMIC  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF OFFERING SUCH CUSTOMERS A
 DEFERRED PAYMENT AGREEMENT CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  ARTI-
 CLE.
   9. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT PROHIBIT
 A  UTILITY  OR  MUNICIPALITY  FROM  RECOVERING LOST OR DEFERRED REVENUES
 AFTER JUNE THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO, PURSUANT  TO  SUCH  MEANS
 FOR  RECOVERY  AS  ARE  PROVIDED  FOR  IN THIS CHAPTER, AND BY MEANS NOT
 INCONSISTENT WITH ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  ARTICLE.    NOTHING  IN
 THIS  SECTION  SHALL PROHIBIT A UTILITY CORPORATION OR MUNICIPALITY FROM
 DISCONNECTING SERVICE NECESSARY TO PROTECT  THE  HEALTH  AND  SAFETY  OF
 CUSTOMERS AND THE PUBLIC.
   11.  NO UTILITY CORPORATION OR MUNICIPALITY SHALL TERMINATE OR DISCON-
 NECT THE SERVICE OF A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER OR  SMALL  BUSINESS  CUSTOMER
 BECAUSE  OF DEFAULTED DEFERRED PAYMENT AGREEMENTS OR ARREARS OWED TO THE
 UTILITY CORPORATION OR MUNICIPALITY WHEN SUCH CUSTOMER HAS EXPERIENCED A
 FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE  COVID-19  PANDEMIC,  AS  DEFINED  BY  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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