Requires the release of individuals from utility corporation services in instances of domestic violence where such individuals request to opt-out in writing and provide certain documents to the utility corporation.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5322
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 25, 2019
___________
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 requiring the
release of individuals from utility corporation services in instances
of domestic violence
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section
2 48-a to read as follows:
3 § 48-a. Utility services; domestic violence victims. Every utility
4 corporation shall allow a person who is under a shared contract with
5 such utility corporation and who is a victim of domestic violence, to
6 opt-out of such contract without charge when such person requests to
7 opt-out in writing and provides to such utility corporation any of the
8 following documents, which shall relate to such domestic violence, with-
9 in six months of the document's issuance: (a) a valid domestic violence
10 incident report form, as such term is defined in subdivision fifteen of
11 section eight hundred thirty-seven of the executive law; (b) a valid
12 police report; (c) a valid order of protection; (d) a signed affidavit
13 from a licensed medical or mental health care provider, employee of a
14 court acting within the scope of his or her employment, social worker, a
15 rape crisis counselor, as defined in section forty-five hundred ten of
16 the civil practice law and rules, or advocate acting on behalf of an
17 agency that assists domestic violence victims. A claim for opting-out of
18 such contract without charge shall be made in good faith. Such utility
19 corporation shall waive the otherwise applicable charges for such person
20 requesting to opt-out of such contract.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to
22 contracts entered into on and after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11062-02-9
