NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7490

Senate Bill S7490

2023-2024 Legislative Session

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

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications 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
Jan 03, 2024	referred to energy and telecommunications
May 31, 2023	referred to energy and telecommunications

co-Sponsors

2023-S7490 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A47
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §119-d, Pub Serv L; add §1020-mm, Pub Auth L; add §399-yyyy, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8894, A10999
2021-2022: S927, A3247

2023-S7490 (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.

2023-S7490 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7490

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, the public authorities law and
the general business law, in relation to requiring utility companies
maintain a toll free number for reporting service outages

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation would require any gas, electric, as 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 PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the public service law by adding a new section 119-d to
the which 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.
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.

Section 2 amends the public authorities law by adding a new section
1020-mm which 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.
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.

Section 3 amends the general business law by adding a new section
399-yyyy which 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.
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.

Section 4 sets 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:

2019-20: A10999-Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

2021-22: A3247-Referred to Ways and Means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2023-S7490 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7490
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 31, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  SKOUFIS, MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele-
   communications
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public service law, the public authorities law and
   the general business law, in relation 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 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  OR  A  MUNICIPALITY
 RENDERING  EQUIVALENT  UTILITY  SERVICES  TO THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN
 SECTION TWENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   3. ANY MUNICIPALITY SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PETITION THE COMMIS-
 SION FOR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS  OF  THIS  SECTION  IF  SUCH
 MUNICIPALITY CAN SHOW THAT SUCH REQUIREMENTS ARE UNDULY BURDENSOME.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01694-01-3

 S. 7490                             2
 
   §  2.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
 1020-mm to read as follows:
   §  1020-MM.  TOLL  FREE  NUMBER  FOR  SERVICE  OUTAGES. 1. THE SERVICE
 PROVIDER SHALL BE REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE  AND  MAINTAIN  A  TOLL
 FREE  PHONE  NUMBER  FOR  CONSUMERS  OF  SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE SERVICE
 PROVIDER 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 AUTHOR-
 ITY'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 OF THIS SECTION SHALL
 SUBJECT THE SERVICE PROVIDER TO  THE  PENALTIES  AUTHORIZED  IN  SECTION
 TWENTY-FIVE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   §  3.    The  general  business law is amended by adding a new section
 399-yyyy to read as follows:
   § 399-YYYY. TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR CABLE TELEVISION AND INTERNET SERVICE
 OUTAGES. 1. ANY CABLE TELEVISION OR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER  RENDERING
 EQUIVALENT  UTILITY SERVICES IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE AND MAIN-
 TAIN 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  CABLE
 TELEVISION OR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER'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  CABLE  TELEVISION  OR  INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER RENDERING
 EQUIVALENT UTILITY SERVICES TO THE PENALTIES AUTHORIZED IN SECTION TWEN-
 TY-FIVE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7490

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Sponsored By

James Skoufis