Senate Bill S8626A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to call centers for gas and electric corporations

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate & Assembly


  • 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
Votes

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-S8626 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9444
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§65 & 25, Pub Serv L

2023-S8626 - Summary

Relates to call centers for gas and electric corporations; sets penalties for violations.

2023-S8626 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S8626 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8626
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 22, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. MANNION -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to call centers for
   gas and electric corporations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 13 of section 65 of
 the public service law, paragraph (a) as added by  chapter  330  of  the
 laws  of 2010 and paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 520 of the laws of
 2014, are amended to read as follows:
   (a) Every gas corporation or electric corporation  furnishing  utility
 services  shall  provide  the  following call center customer assistance
 receiving inquiries AND ASSOCIATED OFFICE TASKS BY PHONE, IN WRITING, OR
 ANY ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  EMAILS,
 TEXTS, AND CHATS on: customer financial responsibility; receiving APPLI-
 CATION requests to initiate or terminate service; receiving requests for
 emergency  services;  SHARED  METERING;  determining deposit required or
 billing rate; receiving meter and service orders  and  access  to  meter
 requests;  explaining  company rates, regulations, policies, procedures,
 and common practices; initiating  trouble  order  forms  and  high  bill
 investigations;  INBOUND  AND/OR  OUTBOUND handling OF payment and other
 credit arrangements such as obtaining deposits, financial statements and
 payment plans; COLLECTION ASSISTANCE INQUIRIES and  referring  customers
 to social service agencies and other assistance programs.
   (b)  (I)  No  gas or electric corporation shall close a call center or
 other facility providing the customer assistance set forth in  paragraph
 (a)  of this subdivision or [relocate] SEND such customer assistance [to
 another area of] OUTSIDE SUCH GAS OR  ELECTRIC  CORPORATION'S  New  York
 state  SERVICE  TERRITORY  or  outside  of New York state without notice
 [and], A hearing AND APPROVAL before the commission. Upon receipt of the
 notice required pursuant to this paragraph, the commission shall provide
 notice of the proceeding to interested parties and the public; and shall
 promptly fix a date for the commencement of a public hearing thereon not
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2023-S8626A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9444
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§65 & 25, Pub Serv L

2023-S8626A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to call centers for gas and electric corporations; sets penalties for violations.

2023-S8626A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S8626A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8626--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 22, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MANNION,  ADDABBO,  GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, JACKSON,
   PARKER, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when  printed  to
   be  committed  to  the  Committee  on Energy and Telecommunications --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to call centers for
   gas and electric corporations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 13 of section 65 of
 the public service law, paragraph (a) as added by  chapter  330  of  the
 laws  of 2010 and paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 520 of the laws of
 2014, are amended to read as follows:
   (a) Every gas corporation or electric corporation  furnishing  utility
 services  shall  provide  the  following call center customer assistance
 receiving inquiries AND ASSOCIATED OFFICE TASKS BY PHONE, IN WRITING, OR
 ANY ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  EMAILS,
 TEXTS, AND CHATS on: customer financial responsibility; receiving APPLI-
 CATION requests to initiate or terminate service; receiving requests for
 emergency  services;  SHARED  METERING;  determining deposit required or
 billing rate; receiving meter and service orders  and  access  to  meter
 requests;  explaining  company rates, regulations, policies, procedures,
 and common practices; initiating  trouble  order  forms  and  high  bill
 investigations;  INBOUND  AND/OR  OUTBOUND handling OF payment and other
 credit arrangements such as obtaining deposits, financial statements and
 payment plans; COLLECTION ASSISTANCE INQUIRIES and  referring  customers
 to  social service agencies and other assistance programs.  FOR PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, EACH INDIVIDUAL PHONE CALL, WRITING, EMAIL, TEXT, CHAT,
 OR ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SHALL COUNT AS  AN  INDEPENDENT  INSTANCE  OF
 CUSTOMER  ASSISTANCE, AND THEREFORE EACH SHALL TRIGGER A GAS OR ELECTRIC
 CORPORATION'S DUTIES UNDER PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (b) (I) No gas or electric corporation shall close a  call  center  or
 other  facility providing the customer assistance set forth in paragraph
 (a) of this subdivision or [relocate] SEND such customer assistance  [to

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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