S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5328
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 7, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in  relation  to  requiring  the
   establishment  of  utility  customer financial assistance programs and
   arrears reporting

   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
 28 to read as follows:
   § 28. CUSTOMER ARREARS PROGRAM REPORTING. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THIS
 SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM"  SHALL MEAN ANY PROGRAM OFFERED TO ELIGIBLE
 LOW-INCOME  CUSTOMERS  TO ASSIST WITH THE COSTS OF ELECTRICITY, GAS, AND
 WATER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE LOW-INCOME HOME  ENERGY  ASSIST-
 ANCE  PROGRAM,  ANY LOW-INCOME AFFORDABILITY PLANS AS PROVIDED BY PUBLIC
 SERVICE  COMMISSION CASE NUMBER 14-M-0565,  AND/OR  ANY  OTHER FINANCIAL
 ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  PROVIDED THROUGH OR BY NEW YORK STATE OR INDIVIDUAL
 UTILITIES, COUNTIES OR MUNICIPALITIES;
   (B) "COVID-19 STATE OF EMERGENCY" SHALL MEAN THE STATE  DISASTER EMER-
 GENCY DECLARED PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER TWO HUNDRED TWO OF TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY;
   (C) "MUNICIPALITY"   SHALL   HAVE   THE SAME  MEANING  AS  SUBDIVISION
 SIXTEEN  OF  SECTION  TWO OF THIS ARTICLE   AND  SHALL  INCLUDE  POTABLE
 WATER DISTRICTS  AND  POTABLE  WATER  SYSTEMS OWNED AND/OR OPERATED BY A
 CITY, TOWN, VILLAGE, AUTHORITY OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL SUBDIVISION; AND
   (D) "UTILITY" SHALL MEAN A   MUNICIPALITY,   UTILITY   CORPORATION  AS
 DEFINED IN SUBDIVISIONS TWENTY-THREE AND TWENTY-FOUR, WATER-WORKS CORPO-
 RATION  AS  DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION TWENTY-SEVEN, AN ELECTRIC CORPORATION
 AS DEFINED IN  SUBDIVISION THIRTEEN, A GAS  CORPORATION  AS  DEFINED  IN
 SUBDIVISION  ELEVEN,  A    COMBINATION  GAS  AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION AS
 DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FOURTEEN, A STEAM    CORPORATION  AS  DEFINED  IN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01883-01-3
              

 A. 5328                             2
 
 SUBDIVISION  TWENTY-TWO  OF  SECTION  TWO  OF THIS ARTICLE AND ANY OTHER
 COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM AS DEFINED IN 10 NYCRR 5-1.1.
   2. (A) EACH UTILITY SHALL, WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
 THIS SECTION, SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSION, IN A FORM AND MANNER  DETERMINED
 BY   THE COMMISSION, A REPORT ON THE NUMBER OF ITS CUSTOMERS IN ARREARS,
 THE NUMBER IN ARREARS AT NINETY DAYS OR GREATER  AND  THE  TOTAL  DOLLAR
 AMOUNT OF CUSTOMER ARREARS.
   (B)  WITHIN  ONE HUNDRED  EIGHTY  DAYS  OF  THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION, THE COMMISSION SHALL  REQUIRE  THAT  UTILITIES  AND/OR  MUNICI-
 PALITIES ESTABLISH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, RELATED TO THE PAYBACK
 OF  CUSTOMER  ARREARS ESTABLISHED DUE TO THE COVID-19 STATE OF EMERGENCY
 WHICH SHALL BE EITHER TWENTY-FOUR  MONTH  OR  THIRTY-SIX  MONTH  PAYMENT
 PLANS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.