NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8929

Senate Bill S8929

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Requires the emergency response plan of an electric corporation to include plans for how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur

download bill text pdf

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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Aug 19, 2020	referred to rules

2019-S8929 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A11015
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §66, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S932, A3258

2019-S8929 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the emergency response plan of an electric corporation to include plans for how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur.

2019-S8929 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8929

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the
emergency response plan of an electric corporation to include plans for
how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation will require electric corporations in their emergency
response plans to include how communication and coordination of efforts
between the electric corporation, electric corporation employees, elec-
tric corporation company crews, mutual aid crews, local governments,
television providers, internet providers, and any other entity perform-
ing services to assist such electric corporation shall occur.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public

service law, is amended to require electric corporations in their emer-
gency response plans to include how communication and coordination of
efforts between the electric corporation, electric corporation employ-
ees, electric corporation company crews, mutual aid crews, local govern-
ments, television providers, internet providers, and any other entity
performing services to assist such electric corporation shall occur.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

During Tropical Storm Isaias many impacted individuals, as well as many
crews responding to the storm expressed a frustration in the communi-
cation that was occurring between the various entities that were
responding to the storm. It was a common occurrence that crews would
show up prepared to fix downed lines, or trim downed trees, only to find
themselves unable to complete their work as they waited for another crew
to perform work that was necessary before they could undertake their own
work. Workers could spend hours waiting, hoping that assistance would
show up and only be ultimately be frustrated when that never occurred.
These crews expressed a frustration as they had no ability to find out
when or if assistance would be coming. This legislation attempts to get
electric corporations to come up and submit a plan for review on how
conversations between all those performing work will occur. It is also
through better coordination of all services that residents rely on that
the repair of electric, phone, cable, and internet lines can be done in
a more efficient manner. It is the hope that by putting together a writ-
ten plan that must be reviewed that communication will improve, and as a
result storm responses will al so be improved.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S8929 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8929
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 19, 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  relation  to  requiring  the
   emergency  response  plan  of an electric corporation to include plans
   for how the communication and coordination of efforts shall occur

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public
 service  law,  as added by section 4 of part X of chapter 57 of the laws
 of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (a) Each electric corporation subject to section twenty-five-a of this
 chapter shall annually, on or before December fifteenth, submit  to  the
 commission an emergency response plan for review and approval. The emer-
 gency response plan shall be designed for the reasonably prompt restora-
 tion  of service in the case of an emergency event, defined for purposes
 of this subdivision as an event where widespread outages  have  occurred
 in  the  service  territory of the company due to storms or other causes
 beyond the control of the company. The  emergency  response  plan  shall
 include,  but need not be limited to, the following: (i) the identifica-
 tion of management staff responsible for company  operations  during  an
 emergency;  (ii)  a communications system with customers during an emer-
 gency that extends beyond normal business hours and business conditions;
 (iii) identification of and outreach plans to customers  who  had  docu-
 mented  their  need  for  essential  electricity for medical needs; (iv)
 identification of and outreach plans to  customers  who  had  documented
 their  need  for  essential electricity to provide critical telecommuni-
 cations, critical transportation, critical fuel distribution services or
 other large-load customers identified by the commission; (v) designation
 of company staff to communicate with  local  officials  and  appropriate
 regulatory  agencies;  (vi)  provisions  regarding  how the company will
 assure the safety of its employees and contractors; (vii) procedures for
 deploying company and mutual aid crews to work assignment areas;  (viii)
 identification  of  additional  supplies  and equipment needed during an
 emergency; (ix) the means of obtaining additional  supplies  and  equip-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD17109-04-0

 S. 8929                             2
 
 ment;  (x)  procedures  to  practice  the  emergency response plan; (xi)
 appropriate safety precautions regarding electrical  hazards,  including
 plans to promptly secure downed wires within thirty-six hours of notifi-
 cation  of  the location of such downed wires from a municipal emergency
 official; (XII) PLANS SETTING FORTH HOW THE  COMMUNICATION  AND  COORDI-
 NATION OF EFFORTS BETWEEN THE ELECTRIC CORPORATION, ELECTRIC CORPORATION
 EMPLOYEES,  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION COMPANY CREWS, MUTUAL AID CREWS, OTHER
 UTILITIES INCLUDING CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES, INTERNET SERVICE PROVID-
 ERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND  ANY  OTHER  ENTITY  PERFORMING  SERVICES  TO
 ASSIST  SUCH  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION SHALL OCCUR; and [(xii)] (XIII) such
 other additional information as the commission may  require.  Each  such
 corporation  shall,  on  an  annual basis, undertake drills implementing
 procedures to practice its emergency management plan. The commission may
 adopt additional requirements consistent with  ensuring  the  reasonably
 prompt restoration of service in the case of an emergency event.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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