S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1683--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations  --  recommitted  to  the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
   cations in  accordance  with  Senate  Rule  6,  sec.  8  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to filing gas safety
   reports
 
   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-q to read as follows:
   §  66-Q.  GAS  SAFETY REPORTS. 1. ON OR BEFORE MARCH FIFTEENTH OF EACH
 YEAR, EACH GAS CORPORATION SHALL FILE WITH THE DEPARTMENT A  GAS  SAFETY
 REPORT.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  REVIEW  THE REPORTS TO MONITOR EACH GAS
 CORPORATION'S PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS  AND  ALL  OTHER  ACTIVITIES
 RELATED TO PROVIDING SAFE AND RELIABLE GAS SERVICE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE
 WHETHER  THE  PROJECTS  OR  ACTIVITIES ARE BEING CARRIED OUT IN A MANNER
 CONSISTENT WITH THIS CHAPTER, THE COMMISSION'S  RULES,  REGULATIONS  AND
 ORDERS,  AND  ANY  PRACTICE  THE DEPARTMENT HAS DEEMED NECESSARY FOR THE
 PROVISION OF SAFE AND RELIABLE SERVICE, AND TO TRACK HOW EACH GAS CORPO-
 RATION IS SPENDING ANY FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS
 AND ALL OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO  PROVIDING  SAFE  AND  RELIABLE  GAS
 SERVICE.
   2.  THE  GAS  SAFETY  REPORT  PROVIDED  FOR IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
 SECTION SHALL INCLUDE A THOROUGH  DESCRIPTION  AND  EXPLANATION  OF  THE
 STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DECISION-MAKING METHODOLOGY USED TO DETERMINE AND
 PRIORITIZE  PIPELINE  REPLACEMENT  PROJECTS, A DESCRIPTION OF THE CORPO-
 RATION'S OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO GAS  SAFETY,  A
 DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  CORPORATION'S INSPECTIONS OF ITS INTRASTATE TRANS-
 MISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES, AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE DEPARTMENT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00764-03-0

 S. 1683--A                          2
 
 MAY REQUIRE. IF THERE HAS BEEN NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE  IN  A  GAS  CORPO-
 RATION'S  SAFETY  REPORT SINCE THE GAS SAFETY REPORT MOST RECENTLY FILED
 WITH THE DEPARTMENT, THE CORPORATION, WITH CONSENT  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT,
 MAY FILE AN UPDATED VERSION OF SUCH REPORT.
   2-A. A GAS CORPORATION SHALL ALSO INCLUDE WITH ITS GAS SAFETY REPORT A
 LIST  OF  PIPELINE  REPLACEMENT  PROJECTS COMPLETED BY A GAS CORPORATION
 WITHIN THE LAST YEAR; SUCH  LIST  SHALL  INDICATE  WHICH  PROJECTS  WERE
 COMPLETED  WITH  A  GAS  CORPORATION'S  OWN  EMPLOYEES  AND  WHICH  WERE
 COMPLETED BY CONTRACTORS. THE COMMISSION MAY ALSO  ORDER  A  GAS  CORPO-
 RATION TO SUBMIT AN INDEPENDENT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS WHICH EXAMINES THE
 GAS CORPORATION'S USE OF ITS OWN EMPLOYEES AND ITS USE OF CONTRACTORS TO
 COMPLETE PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.
   3.  IF  THE  DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT THERE IS A DEFICIENCY IN A GAS
 CORPORATION'S PRIORITIZATION OR ADMINISTRATION OF ITS PIPELINE  REPLACE-
 MENT  PROJECTS  OR  OPERATION  AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO GAS
 SAFETY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOTIFY THE COMMISSION AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED
 PUBLIC SESSION AND SHALL PROVIDE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF  THE  FACTS  AND
 NATURE  OF  THE DEFICIENCY. THE COMMISSION MAY ORDER REASONABLE IMPROVE-
 MENTS THAT WILL BEST PROMOTE THE PUBLIC INTEREST,  PRESERVE  THE  PUBLIC
 HEALTH  AND PROTECT THOSE USING GAS PURSUANT TO THOSE POWERS PROVIDED TO
 THE COMMISSION AS PROVIDED IN THIS CHAPTER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 THOSE IN SECTION SIXTY-SIX OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.