BILL NUMBER: S1328
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the
establishment of utility customer arrears reporting
 
PURPOSE OF BILL:
Relates to requiring the establishment of utility customer financial
assistance programs and arrears reporting
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 lays out the definitions applicable to this act.
Section 1 also establishes that each utility shall submit a report on
its total customer in arrears to the commission. Provides that the
commission shall require assistance programs related to the payback of
customer arrears shall be either 24 or 36 month payment plans.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The massive arrears crisis placed heavy pressure on essential public
services, including utility services, in all areas of the State. The
passage of a utility moratorium in New York was essential in the fight
against COVID19'a related detrimental economic impact. However, there
remains an existing financial impact for customers to recover from to
help New York grow its way out of the COVID-19 Recession. Customers are
still recovering from the arrears and, as such, should have effective
tools available to them to do so.
Assistance programs, especially those related to the recovery from
COVID19 pandemic, should be more accessible and available to more indi-
viduals who have demonstrated the need and instead of tools for more
debt. This legislation directs utility companies to provide that assist-
ance programs related to the payback of customer arrears shall be either
24 or 36 month payment plans. As such, customers will be in much better
positions to pay their bills and utilities will have less customer
accounts past due.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S1316A-DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.