Relates to the reconnection of service for low-income customers; provides that upon the signing of a reconnection plan where a low-income customer shall pay no more than ten percent of such customer's monthly income plus such customer's current monthly bill a utility shall reconnect such service.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9065
IN SENATE
January 28, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 the reconnection
of service for low-income customers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 35 of the public service law, as
2 amended by chapter 686 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. The commission shall by regulation establish reasonable conditions
5 under which an electric or gas corporation or municipality shall be
6 required to take all actions within such corporation or municipality's
7 control and, where applicable, consistent with the provision of the
8 agreement for commodity service, if any, between the corporation and the
9 customer, provided such provisions are consistent with this article to
10 reconnect service to residential customers. Such conditions shall
11 include, but not be limited to, requirements for reconnection of service
12 within twenty-four hours, unless prevented by circumstances beyond the
13 utility's or municipality's control, (a) upon receipt by a corporation
14 or municipality of the full amount of arrears which were the basis for
15 termination of service, (b) upon the signing of a deferred payment plan
16 together with a down payment based on criteria to be established by the
17 commission, provided that no such down payment shall exceed one-half of
18 the amount which was the basis of termination, or the amount of three
19 months billing, whichever is less, (c) upon the direction of the commis-
20 sion, (d) upon the receipt of a commitment of a direct payment or a
21 written guarantee of payment from the social services official of the
22 social services district in which the customer resides [or], (e) where
23 the utility or municipality has notice that a serious impairment to
24 health or safety is likely to result if service is not reconnected or
25 (f) where a low-income customer has demonstrated an inability to pay the
26 full amount of arrears which were the basis for termination of service,
27 upon the signing of a reconnection plan where such low-income customer
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14396-01-6
S. 9065 2
1 shall pay no more than ten percent of such customer's monthly income
2 plus such customer's current monthly bill. With respect to reconnection
3 on the basis of serious impairment of health or safety doubts shall be
4 resolved in favor of reconnection of service. The chairman shall desig-
5 nate such officers and employees as he deems necessary to act on
6 requests for service reconnections.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
8 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
9 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
10 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
11 on or before such effective date.
