S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  928--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. KAPLAN, HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele-
   communications   --   committee   discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the public service law and the public  authorities  law,
   in  relation  to  requiring  electric companies to provide alternative
   measures to ensure customers are able to  maintain  their  health  and
   well-being during power outages
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subparagraph (iii) of 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:
   (iii)  identification of and outreach plans to customers who had docu-
 mented their need for essential electricity for medical needs, INCLUDING
 PROVISIONS REGARDING HOW SUCH CUSTOMERS WILL BE PROVIDED  WITH  ALTERNA-
 TIVE  MEASURES  TO  ENSURE  THEIR  HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IF POWER CANNOT
 ADEQUATELY BE PROVIDED.  SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL INCLUDE  PROVIDING  ELEC-
 TRIC  GENERATORS  OR LODGING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRING SUCH ESSENTIAL
 ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS AND SHALL ALSO INCLUDE  TRANSPORTATION  OF
 MEDICAL DEVICES, AS NEEDED.  SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL ALSO SPECIFY THAT ANY
 COST INCURRED BY AN ELECTRIC COMPANY IN PROVIDING SUCH ALTERNATIVE MEAS-
 URES SHALL NOT BE BORNE BY RATE PAYERS;
   §  2.  Paragraph 1 of subdivision (cc) of section 1020-f of the public
 authorities law, as added by section 7 of part A of chapter 173  of  the
 laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  The  service  provider  shall, in consultation with the authority,
 prepare and maintain an  emergency  response  plan  (i)  to  assure  the
 reasonably  prompt  restoration  of  service in the case of an emergency
 event, defined for purposes of this subdivision as an event where  wide-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02594-06-1

 S. 928--A                           2
 
 spread outages have occurred in the authority's service territory due to
 a  storm  or  other  causes  beyond the control of the authority and the
 service provider, (ii) consistent with the requirements of paragraph (a)
 of subdivision twenty-one of section sixty-six of the public service law
 and  any  regulations and orders adopted thereto, and (iii) establishing
 the separate responsibilities of the  authority  and  service  provider.
 SUCH  EMERGENCY  RESPONSE  PLAN  SHALL  INCLUDE PROVISIONS REGARDING HOW
 CUSTOMERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ALTERNATIVE  MEASURES  TO  ENSURE  THEIR
 HEALTH  AND  WELL-BEING  IF  POWER  CANNOT  ADEQUATELY BE PROVIDED. SUCH
 PROVISIONS SHALL INCLUDE PROVIDING ELECTRIC GENERATORS  OR  LODGING  FOR
 ANY  INDIVIDUAL  REQUIRING  ESSENTIAL  ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS AND
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES, AS NEEDED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.