NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8894

Senate Bill S8894

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring utility companies maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages

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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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Aug 11, 2020	referred to rules

co-Sponsors

2019-S8894 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10999
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §119-d, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S927, A3247
2023-2024: S7490, A47

2019-S8894 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires utility companies maintain a toll free number for consumers to call to report service outages which shall be made available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2019-S8894 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8894

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relating to requiring utility
companies maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would require any gas, electric, gas and electric,
water, steam, telegraph, telephone, cable television company, Internet
service provider, or municipality rendering equivalent utility services
to have a 24/7 staffed telephone line for customers to report service
outages.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill adds a new section 119-d to the public service law
to require any gas, electric, gas and electric, water, steam, telegraph,
telephone, cable television company, Internet service provider or muni-

cipality rendering equivalent utility services to have a 24/7 staffed
telephone line for customers to report service outages. This number must
be attended 24/7, have the capacity to adequately address a surge in
phone call volume during an emergency situation or extreme weather
condition, and be posted clearly and conspicuously on the homepage of
the company's website as well as on the bill. This section also creates
penalties for violations of this section as authorized in section twen-
ty-five of this chapter.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ask any New Yorker and they will tell you about the frustration they
have in reaching a company when there is a problem.  Often the ability
to communicate with this entity is unnecessarily difficult, especially
to older New Yorkers. Public utilities exist to serve the public, and it
is imperative that ratepayers have an ability to communicate with these
companies about service issues that may arise during an emergency situ-
ation. To leave the public without an outlet to be heard is simply unac-
ceptable.  This legislation is simple and straightforward, it is good
public policy and a good business practice to make the ability for
customers to be able to contact their provider when there is a service
issue as easy as possible.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day.

2019-S8894 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8894
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 11, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relating to requiring utility
   companies maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages
 
   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
 119-d to read as follows:
   § 119-D. TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR SERVICE OUTAGES.    1.  ANY  GAS  CORPO-
 RATION, ELECTRIC CORPORATION, GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION, WATER CORPO-
 RATION, STEAM CORPORATION, TELEGRAPH CORPORATION, TELEPHONE CORPORATION,
 CABLE  TELEVISION  COMPANY,  INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER OR A MUNICIPALITY
 RENDERING EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH,  PROVIDE
 AND  MAINTAIN  A TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR CONSUMERS OF SUCH UTILITY TO
 CALL FOR REPORTING SERVICE OUTAGES. SUCH TOLL FREE NUMBER SHALL:
   A. BE ATTENDED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK;
   B. HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADEQUATELY  ADDRESS  A  SURGE  IN  PHONE  CALL
 VOLUME DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS;
   C.  BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE UTILITY
 COMPANY'S WEBSITE; AND
   D. BE POSTED CLEARLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY  ON  THE  FIRST  PAGE  OF  EACH
 CONSUMER'S BILLING STATEMENT.
   2.  THE  FAILURE  TO  COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THIS SECTION SHALL
 SUBJECT ANY GAS CORPORATION,  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION,  GAS  AND  ELECTRIC
 CORPORATION,  WATER  CORPORATION,  STEAM  CORPORATION,  TELEGRAPH CORPO-
 RATION,  TELEPHONE  CORPORATION,  CABLE  TELEVISION  COMPANY,   INTERNET
 SERVICE PROVIDER OR A MUNICIPALITY RENDERING EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES
 TO THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN SECTION TWENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD17084-03-0

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Senate Bill S8894

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Sponsored By

Anna M. Kaplan