BILL NUMBER: S4989A
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, the general business law and the
public authorities law, in relation to requiring utility service provid-
ers to disclose planned rate increases to consumers within a certain
amount of time
 
PURPOSE:
This legislation would require utility service providers to disclose
planned rate increases to consumers and to provide a mechanism to allow
the consumer to cancel service when notified of such a rate increase.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 28 to the public service law to require any
gas corporation, electric corporation, water corporation or munici-
pality, steam corporation or telephone corporation to disclose to a
consumer any planned rate increases for services within 30 days before
such planned increase.
Section 2 amends the General Business Law to require any cable or inter-
net service provider to disclose to a consumer any planned rate
increases for services within 30 but not more than seven days before
such planned increase.
Section 3 amends the public authorities law to require service providers
to follow the provisions of Section 28 of the Public Service Law.
Section 4 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Now more than ever, consumers are experiencing frustration when looking
at a utility bill with unexplained increases in costs. Consumers are
often left searching through their bill, or any other correspondence
from their provider to see why prices are increasing. This legislation
simply tries to inform consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner that
a rate increase will be occurring. The goal of this bill is to make it
as easy as possible for consumers to know that their bill will be chang-
ing- simply requiring a provider to send out a separate and clear commu-
nication of a rate increase is a simple means to achieve this important
consumer protection.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S2993 - Died in Energy & Telecommunications
2021-2022: S6278/A9706 - Died in Energy and Telecommunications/Died on
Third Reading
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect in 180 days.

Statutes affected:
S4989: 1020-cc public authorities law
S4989A: 1020-cc public authorities law