NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7741

Senate Bill S7741

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring utility corporations to remove debris attributable to servicing or protection of delivery lines or systems

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to energy and telecommunications
Nov 13, 2023	referred to rules

2023-S7741 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10059
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §119-e, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S981

2023-S7741 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires a utility corporation that trims, prunes or cuts trees, bushes or other vegetation on private property in connection with the servicing or protection of the supply or delivery lines or systems of the utility to arrange for the complete removal from the private property of the debris that results from such actions.

2023-S7741 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7741

SPONSOR: ROLISON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring utility
corporations to remove debris attributable to servicing or protection of
delivery lines or systems

 
PURPOSE:

To require utility companies to fully remove loose timber from a work-
site.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: The public:service law is amended by adding a new section
119-d to read as follows: Removal of timber. A utility corporation that
trims, prunes or cuts tress, bushes or other vegetation on private prop-
erty in connection with the servicing or protection of the supply or
delivery lines or systems of the utility shall arrange for the complete
removal from the private property of the debris that results from such

actions. Such removal shall include woodchip processing and/or hauling
downed trees or branches to be composted, recycled or sold as tree
length lumber. The cost of such removal shall be borne by the utility
corporation.

Section 2: This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

During the devastating July 2023 Hudson Valley flooding, timber that was
swept away in the rush of water caused significant damage to property
and local infrastructure.

The timber had been cleared by a utility company and under current law
these entities are not required to remove the debris. This legislation
establishes a requirement for the complete removal of downed trees to
protect homeowners and public assets such as culverts from potential
incidental damage during future floods.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S7741 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7741
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             November 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ROLISON -- 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 utility
   corporations to remove debris attributable to servicing or  protection
   of delivery lines or systems

   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-e to read as follows:
   §  119-E.  REMOVAL OF TIMBER. A UTILITY CORPORATION THAT TRIMS, PRUNES
 OR CUTS TREES,  BUSHES  OR  OTHER  VEGETATION  ON  PRIVATE  PROPERTY  IN
 CONNECTION  WITH  THE  SERVICING OR PROTECTION OF THE SUPPLY OR DELIVERY
 LINES OR SYSTEMS OF THE UTILITY SHALL ARRANGE FOR THE  COMPLETE  REMOVAL
 FROM  THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF THE DEBRIS THAT RESULTS FROM SUCH ACTIONS.
 SUCH REMOVAL SHALL INCLUDE WOODCHIP  PROCESSING  AND/OR  HAULING  DOWNED
 TREES  OR  BRANCHES  TO  BE  COMPOSTED,  RECYCLED OR SOLD AS TREE LENGTH
 LUMBER. THE COST OF SUCH REMOVAL SHALL BE BORNE BY  THE  UTILITY  CORPO-
 RATION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13040-02-3

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