Relates to directing the public service commission to require that gas and electric corporations establish a rate classification for volunteer emergency response organizations which shall not be greater than the rate for veterans' organizations.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1751--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations -- recommitted to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to a rate classi-
fication for volunteer emergency response organizations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. Volunteer emergency
2 response organizations provide a public benefit to the state of New York
3 and lessen the burdens of government. Further, members of these not-for-
4 profit organizations risk their lives to ensure the safety, health and
5 general welfare of our citizens. In the past, the state of New York
6 recognized the value of similar organizations and the sacrifices of
7 their members when it established a reduced utility rate for veterans'
8 organizations. Therefore, the legislature hereby finds and declares that
9 volunteer emergency response organizations and veterans' organizations
10 are similarly situated in their structures, practices and actions, and
11 further finds and declares that a reduced utility rate is justified for
12 volunteer emergency response organizations to help ensure their contin-
13 ued operation.
14 § 2. Subdivision 14 of section 66 of the public service law, as
15 amended by chapter 696 of the laws of 1936, is amended to read as
16 follows:
17 14. (a) The commission shall have power to require each gas corpo-
18 ration and electric corporation to establish classifications of service
19 based upon the quantity used, the time when used, the purpose for which
20 used, the duration of use and upon any other reasonable consideration,
21 and to establish in connection therewith just and reasonable graduated
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07624-02-8
S. 1751--A 2
1 rates and charges; and it shall have power, either upon complaint or
2 upon its own motion, to require such changes in such classifications,
3 rates and charges as it shall determine to be just and reasonable.
4 Neither the scheduled rates nor the minimum charge for residential
5 customers shall, after July first, nineteen hundred thirty-seven, be
6 based in any manner on the number of outlets, number of rooms, cubic or
7 square foot area or other such standards.
8 (b) In accordance with paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the commis-
9 sion shall require each gas corporation and electric corporation to
10 establish by January first, two thousand twenty a classification of
11 service for volunteer emergency response organizations in which the rate
12 for any gas or electric service utilized exclusively in connection with
13 such volunteer emergency response organization shall be no greater than
14 the rate charged to veterans' organizations pursuant to section seven-
15 ty-six of this article that are located within the same village, town or
16 municipality. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "volunteer
17 emergency response organization" shall mean a volunteer fire company
18 and/or a voluntary ambulance service as such terms are defined in
19 section one hundred of the general municipal law.
20 § 3. Subdivision 28 of section 66 of the public service law, as added
21 by chapter 82 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
22 28. (a) No revenues foregone by an electric corporation, as a result
23 of subjecting certain veterans' organizations with rates or charges
24 applicable to domestic consumers pursuant to section seventy-six of this
25 article, shall be recovered from the customers of such corporation.
26 (b) No revenues foregone by a gas corporation or an electric corpo-
27 ration, as a result of the establishment of a classification of service
28 for volunteer emergency response organizations pursuant to subdivision
29 fourteen of this section, shall be recovered from the customers of such
30 corporation.
31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
