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 three percent of such customer's monthly income for electric or gas service or six percent of monthly income for combination electric and gas service plus such customer's current monthly bill, a utility shall reconnect such service.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9065--A
Cal. No. 636
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 -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first
and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered
reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
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]
18 one-third of the amount which was the basis of termination, or the
19 amount of [three months billing] the previous month's bill, whichever is
20 less, (c) upon the direction of the commission, (d) upon the receipt of
21 a commitment of a direct payment or a written guarantee of payment from
22 the social services official of the social services district in which
23 the customer resides [or], (e) where the utility or municipality has
24 notice that a serious impairment to health or safety is likely to result
25 if service is not reconnected or (f) where a low-income customer has
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14396-02-6
S. 9065--A 2
1 demonstrated an inability to pay the full amount of arrears which were
2 the basis for termination of service, upon the signing of a reconnection
3 plan where such low-income customer shall pay no more than three percent
4 of such customer's monthly income on their electric service, and no more
5 than three percent of such customer's monthly income on gas service,
6 plus such customer's current monthly bill. For combination electric and
7 gas customers, such low-income customer shall pay no more than six
8 percent of such customer's monthly income plus such customer's current
9 monthly bill. With respect to reconnection on the basis of serious
10 impairment of health or safety doubts shall be resolved in favor of
11 reconnection of service. The [chairman] chair shall designate such offi-
12 cers and employees as [he] such chair deems necessary to act on requests
13 for service reconnections. For the purposes of this subdivision, a
14 "low-income customer" shall mean any customer whose household income is
15 lower than the state median income, regardless of if such customer is
16 enrolled in a utility company's energy affordability program, or if such
17 customer is the recipient of any form of public assistance.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
19 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
20 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
21 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
22 on or before such effective date.
