NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5181

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
Feb 19, 2025	referred to energy and telecommunications

co-Sponsors

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3743
Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §66, Pub Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S9091, A11056
2021-2022: S4178, A2464
2023-2024: S1630, A3503

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that each electric corporation shall establish a unique priority phone number that shall remain in operation every day of the year for customers who have documented their need for essential electricity for medical needs; makes related provisions.

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5181

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to customers with
documented need for essential electricity for medical needs

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require electric corporations to set minimum require-
ments for customers with life-saving equipment during an electric
service disruption. It would also require electric corporations to
establish a unique priority phone number, operated 24/7, in order to
provide customers with life-saving equipment information regarding elec-
tric service disruptions.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends § 66 of the public service law to require electric
corporations to establish a unique priority phone number that shall
remain in operation every day of the year for customers with documented

needs for essential electricity for medical needs. Such customers shall
be able to call such number at any time to: register as a customer who
uses life. support systems; receive information regarding a storm,
storm-like electric emergency; report an outage; receive updated infor-
mation regarding the estimated time of restoration; receive outage safe-
ty precautions; receive information regarding restoration prioritiza-
tion, backup generators, or compensation for lodging; and receive
additionally specified information.

Section two of the bill sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Hundreds of thousands of- New Yorkers lost power in the summer of 2020
as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias, with many disruptions lasting
multiple days. Infrastructure of various utilities across multiple
service areas was affected. While thousands were left without power, the
implications were life-or-death for those who rely on-electricity to
power devices that keep them alive. These individuals cannot afford to
go without power. Electric corporations should be required to provide
them with a baseline level of accommodations.

This bill would require electric corporations to set minimum require-
ments for customers with life-saving equipment during an electric
service disruption. It would also require electric corporations to
establish a unique priority phone number to provide customers with life-
saving equipment information regarding electric service disruptions and
services they are entitled to.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S1630A Comrie/ A3503A Dinowitz

2022: S4178A

2019-20 - A.11056 - referred to corporations, authorities and commis-
sions / S.9091 - REFERRED TO RULES
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5181
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 19, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- 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 customers with
   documented need for essential electricity for medical needs

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.    Paragraph  (g)  of subdivision 21 of section 66 of  the
 public service law is relettered paragraph (i) and  two  new  paragraphs
 (g) and (h) are added to read as follows:
   (G)  EACH ELECTRIC CORPORATION SHALL ESTABLISH A UNIQUE PRIORITY PHONE
 NUMBER THAT SHALL REMAIN IN OPERATION EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR FOR  CUSTOM-
 ERS WHO HAVE DOCUMENTED THEIR NEED FOR ESSENTIAL ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL
 NEEDS.    SUCH ELECTRIC CORPORATION SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE AND IDENTIFICA-
 TION OF SUCH PHONE NUMBER THROUGH BILL INSERTS, VIA E-MAIL, AND ON  SUCH
 ELECTRIC  CORPORATION'S  WEBSITE.   SUCH NOTICE AND IDENTIFICATION SHALL
 INCLUDE INFORMATION RELATING TO HOW EXISTING CUSTOMERS CAN  ENSURE  THEY
 ARE STILL REGISTERED WITH THE ELECTRIC CORPORATION AS A CUSTOMER WHO HAS
 DOCUMENTED  THEIR  NEED  FOR ESSENTIAL ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS FOR
 THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION.
   (H) CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE DOCUMENTED THEIR NEED FOR ESSENTIAL ELECTRICITY
 FOR MEDICAL NEEDS SHALL BE ABLE TO CALL SUCH NUMBER ESTABLISHED BY PARA-
 GRAPH (G) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING A TIME PRECEDING OR
 DURING AN ELECTRIC SERVICE DISRUPTION TO:
   I. REGISTER WITH AN ELECTRIC CORPORATION AS A CUSTOMER NEEDING  ESSEN-
 TIAL ELECTRICITY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS;
   II.  RECEIVE  INFORMATION  OR  PROJECTIONS REGARDING THE SEVERITY OF A
 STORM, STORM-LIKE ELECTRIC EMERGENCY OR SYSTEM EMERGENCY, IF APPLICABLE;
   III. REPORT AN OUTAGE OR RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS  ON  HOW  TO  REPORT  AN
 OUTAGE;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05140-01-5
 S. 5181                             2

 
   IV. RECEIVE UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THE ESTIMATED TIME OF RESTO-
 RATION,  INCLUDING  WEBSITE  LINKS  TO  OUTAGE MAPS UPDATED EVERY THIRTY
 MINUTES, IF APPLICABLE;
   V.  RECEIVE  OUTAGE  SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
 STORM SURVIVAL WITHOUT  ELECTRIC  POWER,  SAFETY  PRECAUTIONS  REGARDING
 ELECTRICAL  HAZARDS SUCH AS DOWNED WIRES AND THE USE OF PORTABLE GENERA-
 TORS;
   VI. RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING DRY ICE DISTRIBUTION, IF APPLICABLE;
   VII. RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING POWER CHARGING LOCATIONS, IF APPLI-
 CABLE;
   VIII. RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING COOLING LOCATIONS, IF APPLICABLE;
   IX. RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING THE CLAIMS PROCESS FOR SPOILED  FOOD
 AND MEDICATION, IF APPLICABLE;
   X.  RECEIVE  POTENTIAL  INFORMATION  ADOPTED  PURSUANT TO A RULEMAKING
 PROCEEDING COMMENCED BY THE COMMISSION REGARDING RESTORATION PRIORITIZA-
 TION, BACKUP GENERATORS, OR COMPENSATION FOR LODGING IN THE EVENT OF  AN
 ELECTRIC SERVICE DISRUPTION FOR CUSTOMERS WITH LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT, IF
 APPLICABLE; AND
   XI.  RECEIVE  INFORMATION REGARDING THE FACILITATION OF TRANSPORTATION
 TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL OR FACILITY THAT IS CAPABLE  OF  POWERING  LIFE-
 SAVING EQUIPMENT, IF APPLICABLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S5181

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5181

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Sponsored By

Leroy Comrie

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

co-Sponsors

Patricia Fahy

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S5181 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments