Relates to the reconnection of service for low-income customers

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9065

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                    January 28, 2026
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 the reconnection
          of service for low-income customers

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision 1 of section 35 of the public service law, as
     2  amended by chapter 686 of the laws  of  2002,  is  amended  to  read  as
     3  follows:
     4    1.  The commission shall by regulation establish reasonable conditions
     5  under which an electric or gas  corporation  or  municipality  shall  be
     6  required  to  take all actions within such corporation or municipality's
     7  control and, where applicable, consistent  with  the  provision  of  the
     8  agreement for commodity service, if any, between the corporation and the
     9  customer,  provided  such provisions are consistent with this article to
    10  reconnect  service  to  residential  customers.  Such  conditions  shall
    11  include, but not be limited to, requirements for reconnection of service
    12  within  twenty-four  hours, unless prevented by circumstances beyond the
    13  utility's or municipality's control, (a) upon receipt by  a  corporation
    14  or  municipality  of the full amount of arrears which were the basis for
    15  termination of service, (b) upon the signing of a deferred payment  plan
    16  together  with a down payment based on criteria to be established by the
    17  commission, provided that no such down payment shall exceed one-half  of
    18  the  amount  which  was the basis of termination, or the amount of three
    19  months billing, whichever is less, (c) upon the direction of the commis-
    20  sion, (d) upon the receipt of a commitment of  a  direct  payment  or  a
    21  written  guarantee  of  payment from the social services official of the
    22  social services district in which the customer resides [or],  (e)  where
    23  the  utility  or  municipality  has  notice that a serious impairment to
    24  health or safety is likely to result if service is  not  reconnected  OR
    25  (F) WHERE A LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER HAS DEMONSTRATED AN INABILITY TO PAY THE
    26  FULL  AMOUNT OF ARREARS WHICH WERE THE BASIS FOR TERMINATION OF SERVICE,
    27  UPON THE SIGNING OF A RECONNECTION PLAN WHERE SUCH  LOW-INCOME  CUSTOMER

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14396-01-6
        S. 9065                             2

     1  SHALL  PAY  NO  MORE  THAN TEN PERCENT OF SUCH CUSTOMER'S MONTHLY INCOME
     2  PLUS SUCH CUSTOMER'S CURRENT MONTHLY BILL. With respect to  reconnection
     3  on  the  basis of serious impairment of health or safety doubts shall be
     4  resolved  in favor of reconnection of service. The chairman shall desig-
     5  nate such officers and  employees  as  he  deems  necessary  to  act  on
     6  requests for service reconnections.
     7    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
     8  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
     9  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    10  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    11  on or before such effective date.