S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2599
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SAYEGH,  SEAWRIGHT, DeSTEFANO, SANTABARBARA,
   TAGUE, DURSO, LEMONDES, SHIMSKY -- Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
   MILLER  --  read  once  and referred to the Committee on Corporations,
   Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law and the public  authorities  law,
   in  relation  to  requiring  electric companies to provide alternative
   measures to ensure customers are able to  maintain  their  health  and
   well-being during power outages
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision  21  of
 section  66 of the public service law, as separately amended by chapters
 395 and 743 of the laws of 2022 and chapter 38 of the laws of  2023,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   (iii)  identification of and outreach plans to customers who had docu-
 mented their need for essential electricity  for  medical  needs,  which
 shall include but not be limited to, apnea monitors for infants, cuirass
 respirators,  hemodialysis  machines,  IV  feeding  machines, IV medical
 infusion machines, oxygen concentrators, positive pressure  respirators,
 respirator/ventilators,  rocking  bed respirators, suction machines, and
 tank type respirators. SUCH  OUTREACH  PLANS  SHALL  INCLUDE  PROVISIONS
 REGARDING  HOW SUCH CUSTOMERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ALTERNATIVE MEASURES
 TO ENSURE THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING  IF  POWER  CANNOT  ADEQUATELY  BE
 PROVIDED. SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL INCLUDE PROVIDING ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR
 LODGING  FOR  THE  INDIVIDUAL  REQUIRING  SUCH ESSENTIAL ELECTRICITY FOR
 MEDICAL NEEDS AND SHALL ALSO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION OF MEDICAL  DEVICES,
 AS  NEEDED. SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL ALSO SPECIFY THAT ANY COST INCURRED BY
 AN ELECTRIC COMPANY IN PROVIDING SUCH ALTERNATIVE MEASURES SHALL NOT  BE
 BORNE BY RATE PAYERS;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04277-01-5
 A. 2599                             2
 
              

   §  2.  Paragraph 1 of subdivision (cc) of section 1020-f of the public
 authorities law, as separately amended by chapter 395  of  the  laws  of
 2022 and chapter 38 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  The  service  provider  shall, in consultation with the authority,
 prepare and maintain an  emergency  response  plan  (i)  to  assure  the
 reasonably  prompt  restoration  of  service in the case of an emergency
 event, defined for purposes of this subdivision as an event where  wide-
 spread outages have occurred in the authority's service territory due to
 a  storm  or  other  causes  beyond the control of the authority and the
 service provider, (ii) consistent with the requirements of paragraph (a)
 of subdivision twenty-one of section sixty-six of the public service law
 and any regulations and orders adopted thereto, and  (iii)  establishing
 the  separate  responsibilities  of  the authority and service provider.
 Such emergency response plan shall include plans setting forth  how  the
 communication and coordination of efforts between the authority, service
 provider,  authority  employees,  service  provider employees, authority
 company crews, service provider company crews, mutual aid  crews,  other
 utilities,  local  governments  and any service provider or other entity
 performing services to assist the authority shall occur.  Such emergency
 response plan shall include identification of  and  outreach  plans  for
 customers  who  have documented their need for essential electricity for
 medical needs, which shall include but not be limited to, apnea monitors
 for infants, cuirass  respirators,  hemodialysis  machines,  intravenous
 feeding  machines, intravenous medical infusion machines, oxygen concen-
 trators, positive pressure respirators, respirators/ventilators, rocking
 bed respirators, suction  machines,  and  tank  type  respirators.  SUCH
 OUTREACH  PLANS  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE PROVISIONS REGARDING HOW CUSTOMERS
 WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ALTERNATIVE MEASURES TO ENSURE  THEIR  HEALTH  AND
 WELL-BEING IF POWER CANNOT ADEQUATELY BE PROVIDED. SUCH PROVISIONS SHALL
 INCLUDE  PROVIDING  ELECTRIC  GENERATORS  OR  LODGING FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL
 REQUIRING ESSENTIAL ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS AND SHALL ALSO INCLUDE
 TRANSPORTATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES, AS NEEDED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.