A 10376: Requires utility service providers to disclose planned rate increases to consumers within thirty days before a planned price increase takes effect; requires utility providers to provide contact information and a mechanism to cancel service completely.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10376  IN ASSEMBLY March 3, 2026 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy AN ACT to amend the public service law, the general business law and the public authorities law, in relation to requiring utility service providers to disclose planned rate increases to consumers within a certain amount of time 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 28 to read as follows: 3 § 28. Notice of planned rate increase for services. 1. Any gas corpo- 4 ration, electric corporation, water corporation or municipality, steam 5 corporation or telephone corporation shall be required to disclose to a 6 consumer any planned rate increase for services being rendered to such 7 consumer, within thirty days before such planned rate increase takes 8 effect. 9 2. (a) Any notification of a planned rate increase pursuant to this 10 section shall be communicated to the consumer in a clear and conspicuous 11 method which is sufficient to alert such consumer that such planned rate 12 increase is occurring. 13 (b) A consumer shall be notified in a separate communication outside 14 of any billing statement via phone, electronic mail, letter, text 15 message or any combination thereof that includes a statement of the 16 following: 17 (i) the amount of the rate increase; 18 (ii) the effective date of the increase; and 19 (iii) where customers can get additional information pertaining to the 20 rate increase. 21 (c) Inclusion of such notification as part of any billing statement 22 shall not constitute compliance with this section. 23 3. Any gas corporation, electric corporation, water corporation or 24 municipality, steam corporation or telephone corporation shall provide 25 with any notification of a planned rate increase information on how a 26 consumer can contact the service provider. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09684-03-6 
 A. 10376 2 1 § 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 399- 2 ww to read as follows: 3 § 399-ww. Notice of planned rate increases for cable and internet 4 services. 1. Any cable television company or internet service provider 5 shall be required to disclose to a consumer any planned rate increase 6 for services being rendered to such consumer, within thirty but no less 7 than seven days before such planned rate increase takes effect. 8 2. (a) Any notification of a planned rate increase pursuant to this 9 section shall be communicated to the consumer in a clear and conspicuous 10 method which is sufficient to alert such consumer that such planned rate 11 increase is occurring. 12 (b) A consumer shall be notified in a separate communication outside 13 of any billing statement via phone, electronic mail, letter, text 14 message or any combination thereof that includes a statement of the 15 following: 16 (i) the amount of the rate increase; 17 (ii) the effective date of the increase; and 18 (iii) where customers can get additional information pertaining to the 19 rate increase. 20 (c) Inclusion of such notification as part of any billing statement 21 shall not constitute compliance with this section. 22 3. Any cable television company or internet service provider shall 23 provide with any notification of a planned rate increase information on 24 how a consumer can contact the service provider and shall also include a 25 mechanism to allow for a consumer to cancel their service altogether. 26 § 3. Section 1020-cc of the public authorities law is amended by 27 adding a new subdivision 3 to read as follows: 28 3. Service providers shall be subject to the provisions of section 29 twenty-eight of the public service law. 30 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 31 it shall have become a law.