STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1236--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations -- recommitted to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to ensuring the
public has virtual access to public service commission proceedings and
may file documents electronically
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 28 to read as follows:
3 § 28. Virtual access by the public to commission proceedings and elec-
4 tronic filing of documents. 1. As used in this section:
5 (a) "Document" shall include, but not be limited to, oral and written
6 testimony, exhibits, interrogatories, and motions, briefs, comments,
7 rulings, orders and any other materials filed in or generated as part of
8 a proceeding.
9 (b) "Proceedings" shall mean any formal or informal matter, case,
10 rulemaking, rate proceeding, generic proceeding, or any other action of
11 the commission or the department or any component of a proceeding that
12 may result in decisions by the commission or recommendations to the
13 commission. Such term shall include evidentiary hearings conducted
14 pursuant to section sixty-six of this chapter.
15 2. The commission shall provide for virtual and in-person access and
16 participation for all proceedings regarding gas, electric, combination
17 gas and electric, and water utilities. In the case of settlement negoti-
18 ations, virtual and in-person access and participation shall be limited
19 to persons admitted as parties and who subscribe to the applicable
20 commission rules and standards governing confidentiality.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01460-02-6
S. 1236--A 2
1 3. The commission and administrative law judges shall accept electron-
2 ic submission of documents in all proceedings and physical copies shall
3 not be required. A filing party shall submit documents in an alternative
4 format only upon certification that electronic submission is not practi-
5 cable. Such documents shall be in a form and manner as prescribed by the
6 commission.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
8 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
9 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
10 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
11 completed on or before such effective date.
