A02777 Summary:

BILL NOA02777
 
SAME ASSAME AS S05811
 
SPONSORBrennan
 
COSPNSRRodriguez, Otis, Abinanti, Moya, Seawright
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add S66-o, Pub Serv L
 
Relates to requiring gas corporations to file annual gas safety reports.
Go to top    

A02777 Actions:

BILL NOA02777
 
01/20/2015referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
03/03/2015reported
03/05/2015advanced to third reading cal.78
03/24/2015passed assembly
03/24/2015delivered to senate
03/24/2015REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS
01/06/2016DIED IN SENATE
01/06/2016RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
01/06/2016ordered to third reading cal.127
01/11/2016committed to corporations, authorities and commissions
02/09/2016reported referred to codes
02/25/2016reported
02/26/2016advanced to third reading cal.392
Go to top

A02777 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A2777
 
SPONSOR: Brennan (MS)
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public service law, in relation to filing gas safety reports   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To increase gas safety and promote the public interest.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: * Paragraph one creates the require- ment that each gas corporation must file an annual gas safety report with Department of Public Service. The Department would review to ensure each gas corporation is complying with Public Service Law, the Commission's rules, regulations, and orders, and any practice the Department has deemed necessary for providing safe and reliable service. * Paragraph two sets the requirements for the gas safety report which shall include a thorough description and explanation of the strategic planning and decision-making methodology used to determine and prior- itize pipeline replacement projects, a description of the corporation's operations and maintenance activities related to gas safety, and a description of its inspection policies relating to its pipeline infras- tructure. It also requires a gas corporation to submit a list of pipe- line replacement projects completed by a gas corporation within the last year and to indicate which were completed by employees of the gas corpo- ration and which were completed by contractors. The Commission is also authorized to order a cost benefit analysis to further examine this practice. * Paragraph three requires the Department to notify the Commission of any deficiencies in a gas corporation's prioritization of projects or administration of its pipeline infrastructure. The Commission may then order reasonable improvements under existing law to protect public safe- ty.   JUSTIFICATION: This bill would require gas corporations to produce an annual gas safety report for the purposes of increasing transparency, accountability, and public safety. Natural gas must be used and deliv- ered in the safest possible manner. An annual gas safety report by each gas corporation will be an additional tool for the public, the Public Service Commission, and the Legislature to ensure that every possible effort is being made to ensure the safe delivery and use of natural gas.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: A9722a of 2014 - Passed Assembly.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to the state.   EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.
Go to top

A02777 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          2777
 
                               2015-2016 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 20, 2015
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BRENNAN,  RODRIGUEZ,  OTIS  -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to filing gas safety
          reports
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
     2  66-o to read as follows:
     3    § 66-o. Gas safety reports. 1. On or before March  fifteenth  of  each
     4  year,  each  gas corporation shall file with the department a gas safety
     5  report. The department shall review the  reports  to  monitor  each  gas
     6  corporation's  pipeline  replacement  projects  and all other activities
     7  related to providing safe and reliable gas service in order to determine
     8  whether the projects or activities are being carried  out  in  a  manner
     9  consistent  with  this  chapter, the commission's rules, regulations and
    10  orders, and any practice the department has  deemed  necessary  for  the
    11  provision of safe and reliable service, and to track how each gas corpo-
    12  ration is spending any funds allocated for pipeline replacement projects
    13  and  all  other  activities  related  to providing safe and reliable gas
    14  service.
    15    2. The gas safety report provided  for  in  subdivision  one  of  this
    16  section  shall  include  a  thorough  description and explanation of the
    17  strategic planning and decision-making methodology used to determine and
    18  prioritize pipeline replacement projects, a description  of  the  corpo-
    19  ration's  operation  and maintenance activities related to gas safety, a
    20  description of the corporation's inspections of  its  intrastate  trans-
    21  mission and distribution lines, and any other information the department
    22  may  require.  If  there  has been no substantial change in a gas corpo-
    23  ration's safety report since the gas safety report most  recently  filed
    24  with  the  department,  the corporation, with consent of the department,
    25  may file an updated version of such report.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02512-02-5

        A. 2777                             2
 
     1    2-a. A gas corporation shall also include with its gas safety report a
     2  list of pipeline replacement projects completed  by  a  gas  corporation
     3  within  the  last  year;  such  list  shall indicate which projects were
     4  completed  with  a  gas  corporation's  own  employees  and  which  were
     5  completed  by  contractors.  The  commission may also order a gas corpo-
     6  ration to submit an independent cost benefit analysis which examines the
     7  gas corporation's use of its own employees and its use of contractors to
     8  complete pipeline replacement projects.
     9    3. If the department determines that there is a deficiency  in  a  gas
    10  corporation's  prioritization or administration of its pipeline replace-
    11  ment projects or operation and maintenance  activities  related  to  gas
    12  safety, the department shall notify the commission at the next scheduled
    13  public  session  and  shall provide a brief description of the facts and
    14  nature of the deficiency. The commission may order  reasonable  improve-
    15  ments  that  will  best promote the public interest, preserve the public
    16  health and protect those using gas pursuant to those powers provided  to
    17  the commission as provided in this chapter, including but not limited to
    18  those in section sixty-six of this article.
    19    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Go to top