S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2519
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 26, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Energy
 
 AN ACT to direct the public service commission to undertake a  study  of
   consumer protections adopted by electric corporations and utilities
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The New York State public service commission  shall  under-
 take  an  immediate  study  of  consumer protections adopted by electric
 corporations and municipalities ("utilities") pursuant to article  2  of
 the  public service law and provide a report to the governor, the tempo-
 rary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair  of
 the  senate  committee on energy and telecommunications and the chair of
 the assembly committee on energy. Such report shall include an  analysis
 of the effectiveness of current utility procedures for notifying custom-
 ers  in  arrears on utility charges of how they may avoid termination of
 electric, gas or steam service, including the availability  of  deferred
 payment  agreements.  In addition, such report shall review the adequacy
 of the commission's assistance to customers negotiating deferred payment
 agreements with utilities in lieu of disconnection of service  including
 the  number  of deferred payment plans by utility service territory; the
 number of incidences, if any, in which utilities have required more than
 the lawfully allowed level of down payments or  deferred  payments  from
 customers  seeking to connect service or avoid disconnection; the effec-
 tiveness and availability of the commission's shutoff hotline in receiv-
 ing calls from customers facing termination of electric, gas  and  steam
 service;  the call volume to such hotline in each utility service terri-
 tory; the monthly number of  electric  and  natural  gas  customers  who
 previously received utility bill assistance from the Home Energy Assist-
 ance  Program  whose service was terminated for bill collection purposes
 in each utility service area in the  previous  calendar  year,  provided
 further  that  the  commission  shall  require each utility provide such
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04599-01-3
              

 A. 2519                             2
 
 information while maintaining customer confidentiality; and any proposed
 legislative remedies necessary to increase customer  awareness  of  such
 hotline. The report shall be made available to the public on the commis-
 sion's website.
   §  2. The New York State public service commission shall seek comments
 from utilities, municipalities, consumer advocates and  the  public  and
 may  include  in the report recommendations to improve existing consumer
 protection policies.
   § 3. If the study pursuant to section one of this act is not  received
 by  November  15,  2024,  the  commission  shall  institute a moratorium
 preventing utility corporations from terminating electric, gas or  steam
 service  to any residential customer in arrears with whom it has entered
 into an agreement for the provision of  such  services.  The  moratorium
 shall last for the period beginning December 1, 2024 and ending on March
 31,  2025.  Nothing  in this act shall be construed to prevent a utility
 corporation from charging customers for electric, gas or  steam  service
 or  from  offering a deferred payment agreement for the period beginning
 December 1, 2024 and ending on March 31, 2025.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.