S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1846
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY -- read twice and
   ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
   Energy and Telecommunications
 
 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring utility
   companies to reimburse consumers in the event  of  a  prolonged  power
   outage

   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
 77-a to read as follows:
   §  77-A.  UTILITY REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.   1. IN THE EVENT THAT A
 RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMER OR SMALL BUSINESS  CUSTOMER  EXPERIENCES  A
 WIDESPREAD  PROLONGED  OUTAGE  LASTING  AT LEAST SEVENTY-TWO CONSECUTIVE
 HOURS OR MORE WITHOUT HAVING BEEN RESOLVED BY THE UTILITY  COMPANY,  THE
 UTILITY COMPANY SHALL:
   (A) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT OF ANY FOOD SPOILED DUE TO LACK OF REFRIGER-
 ATION.   RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMERS SHALL PROVIDE THE UTILITY COMPANY
 AN ITEMIZED LIST OF ALL FOOD SPOILED OR PROOF OF LOSS  OF  FOOD  SPOILED
 WITHIN  FOURTEEN DAYS OF THE OUTAGE. THE UTILITY COMPANY SHALL REIMBURSE
 THE CUSTOMER WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE RECEIPT OF THE ITEMIZED  LIST  OR
 PROOF  OF LOSS. THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED A TOTAL
 OF TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR CUSTOMERS WHO PROVIDE AN ITEMIZED
 LIST. THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR CUSTOMERS WHO PROVIDE PROOF OF
 LOSS SHALL NOT EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED FORTY DOLLARS.
   (B) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION  SPOILED  DUE  TO
 LACK  OF  REFRIGERATION. RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMERS SHALL PROVIDE THE
 UTILITY COMPANY WITH AN ITEMIZED LIST AND PROOF OF LOSS OF  PRESCRIPTION
 MEDICATION  DUE  TO  LACK  OF  REFRIGERATION WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THE
 OUTAGE.  THE UTILITY COMPANY SHALL REIMBURSE THE CUSTOMER WITHIN  THIRTY
 DAYS  OF  THE  RECEIPT  OF  THE  ITEMIZED  LIST  AND  PROOF  OF  LOSS OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05137-01-5
 S. 1846                             2
              

 
 PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.  THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT SHALL TOTAL NO
 MORE THAN THE ACTUAL LOSS OF PERISHABLE PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE.
   (C)  PROVIDE  REIMBURSEMENT  TO  SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS FOR ANY FOOD
 SPOILED DUE TO LACK OF REFRIGERATION.  SMALL  BUSINESS  CUSTOMERS  SHALL
 PROVIDE  THE  UTILITY COMPANY WITH AN ITEMIZED LIST FOR ALL FOOD SPOILED
 AND PROOF OF LOSS WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THE OUTAGE. THE UTILITY COMPA-
 NY SHALL REIMBURSE THE SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMER WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE
 RECEIPT OF THE ITEMIZED LIST AND  PROOF  OF  LOSS.  THE  AMOUNT  OF  THE
 REIMBURSEMENT  SHALL  TOTAL  NO  MORE  THAN  TEN  THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED
 DOLLARS.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY  TO
 IMPLEMENT  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS SECTION. SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS
 SHALL DEFINE THE TERMS "WIDESPREAD PROLONGED  OUTAGE",  "SMALL  BUSINESS
 CUSTOMER" AND "PROOF OF LOSS".
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.