STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9263
IN SENATE
February 19, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- 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 public
assistance payments for residential gas and electric service are
accepted and credited by utilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 32 of the public service law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
3 7. A gas or electric corporation shall accept and credit any public
4 assistance payment tendered on behalf of a residential customer by a
5 social services district or the office of temporary and disability
6 assistance, including but not limited to payments made pursuant to the
7 home energy assistance program as established in section ninety-seven of
8 the social services law, and emergency funding from programs as estab-
9 lished in section one hundred thirty-one-s of the social services law.
10 Upon receipt of such payment or notice that such payment has been
11 authorized or issued, a gas or electric corporation shall treat the
12 payment as made for all purposes under this section, including restora-
13 tion of residential utility service, and satisfaction of other forms of
14 collections activity, regardless of the status of the customer's
15 account.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14731-01-6
