Requires detailed billing for utilities and requiring utility providers to attend local municipal meetings to present proposed rate or charge increases.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8935
IN SENATE
January 16, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. OBERACKER -- 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
detailed billing for utilities and requiring utility providers to
attend local municipal meetings to present proposed rate or charge
increases
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 12-a of section 66 of the public service law,
2 as added by chapter 527 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 12-a. Have power to fix and alter the format and informational
5 requirements of bills utilized by public and private gas corporations,
6 electric corporations and gas and electric corporations in levying
7 charges for service, to assure simplicity and clarity and to require
8 indication of any adjustment charges, including but not limited to fuel
9 adjustments, in monetary amounts. The commission shall require bills
10 utilized by public and private gas corporations, electric corporations
11 and gas and electric corporations in levying charges for service, to
12 additionally include a full itemization of all charges. The commission
13 shall further ensure periodic explanation of applicable rates and rate
14 schedules for the purpose of assisting customers in making the most
15 efficient use of energy.
16 § 2. Subdivision 12 of section 66 of the public service law is amended
17 by adding a new paragraph (n) to read as follows:
18 (n) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b) of this subdivi-
19 sion, the commission shall require every utility proposing an increase
20 in any rate or charge to attend no less than three public municipal
21 meetings per county that will be impacted by such proposed increase. A
22 utility subject to the provisions of this paragraph shall include a
23 notice of upcoming municipal meetings which the utility is attending to
24 present a proposed rate or charge increase with the bill of every
25 customer impacted by such proposed increase.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14191-02-6
S. 8935 2
1 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 44 of the public service law, as added
2 by chapter 713 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
3 1. Every utility corporation or municipality shall assure that bills
4 for service to residential customers [adequately] explain in detail the
5 charges for service in clear and understandable form and language. The
6 commission [may] shall, from time to time, specify the form and content
7 of such bills to further the objectives of this subdivision.
8 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
9 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
