Requires utilities to notify property owners prior to beginning any non-emergency construction or other work that may interfere with a property owner's ability to use, or access such owner's property; requires notice to include, but not limited to, a description of the work to be performed, the expected duration of such work, the location of such work, any road closures or detours that may occur due to such work, any action that may directly and materially impact the use of such property, and the contact information for the utility performing such work; provides notice may include electronic communications, signage, and written materials; exempts cases where a natural or man-made disaster or state of emergency occurs.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8865
IN SENATE
January 12, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring corpo-
rations and municipalities to notify property owners prior to begin-
ning certain services
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
2 119-f to read as follows:
3 § 119-f. Notification of work. 1. Prior to beginning any non-emergency
4 construction or other work for which a utility has a valid permit and
5 which the utility reasonably believes will directly and materially
6 impact the use of residential, commercial or other property, such utili-
7 ty shall provide notice of such work. For purposes of this section, the
8 term "utility" shall include: a gas corporation, an electric corpo-
9 ration, a gas and electric corporation, a water corporation, a steam
10 corporation, a telegraph corporation, a telephone corporation or a muni-
11 cipality rendering equivalent utility services. Such notice shall be
12 provided to customers the utility reasonably believes will be directly
13 and materially impacted by such work.
14 2. Such notice shall include, but not be limited to, a description of
15 the work to be performed, the expected duration of such work, the
16 location of such work, any road closures or detours that may occur due
17 to such work, any action that may directly and materially impact the use
18 of such property, and the contact information for the utility performing
19 such work. Such notice may include electronic communications, signage,
20 and written materials.
21 3. Such notice shall be given as far in advance as practicable before
22 the start of work but not more than thirty days in advance of the start
23 of such work.
24 4. The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of a
25 natural or man-made disaster or state of emergency pursuant to article
26 two-B of the executive law, or where the need to provide such notice
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00971-06-6
S. 8865 2
1 would prevent the timely installation, restoration or repair of a utili-
2 ty customer's service.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
4 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
5 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
6 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
7 completed on or before such effective date.
