BILL NUMBER: S2258A
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring emer-
gency notices be provided to customers in certain languages
 
PURPOSE:
This bill will ensure that utility corporations, regardless of county of
service, provide emergency notices to consumers in certain prevailing
languages other than English.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one makes a minor change to the section heading of section
forty-four of the public service law.
Section two provides that the public service commission require utility
companies to distribute notices in prevailing languages which must
include Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, French,
Urdu, Hindi and Tagalog.
 
EXISTING LAW:
Section 44 of the Public Service law provides that a utility corporation
or municipality in a county where at least twenty-five percent of the
population speak a language other than English provide bill and notices
in a second language upon request by a consumer.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
It has been found that certain public utility consumer notices and
application forms were provided only in English during Storm Isaias. As
a result, many citizens who do not speak or read English could not
access emergency response services in the aftermath of the storm.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S1260
2022: S3261
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

Statutes affected:
S2258: 44 public service law
S2258A: 44 public service law