A 5442: Enacts the "rate hike notice act" which requires utilities in the state of New York to provide notice of a proposed rate hike to a customer via text, email and via such customer's monthly billing statement.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5442 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAMDANI -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Energy AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to enacting the "rate hike notice act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "rate hike notice act". 3 § 2. Subdivision 12 of section 66 of the public service law is amended 4 by adding a new paragraph (m) to read as follows: 5 (m) Within one business day of the publication of the information 6 required pursuant to paragraph (l) of this subdivision, the commission 7 shall require each utility to send electronic notice of a proposed rate 8 increase via text to all customers for whom such utility contacts 9 through text. The text shall inform such customer that such utility is 10 proposing a rate increase in the customer's service area which shall use 11 the following text: "As required by New York's rate hike notice act, we 12 are writing to inform you that (insert utility name) is proposing a rate 13 increase of (insert percent increase) for gas and (insert percent 14 increase) for electricity for the typical residential customer and a 15 rate increase of (insert percent increase) for gas and (insert percent 16 increase) for electricity for the typical commercial customer. For more 17 information check your email or your next mailed bill.". If the utility 18 is proposing a rate increase for only gas or electric rates, such utili- 19 ty in its text message shall include language relating only to the type 20 of utility involved in the rate case. Further, within one business day 21 of the publication of the information required pursuant to paragraph (l) 22 of this subdivision, the commission shall also require each utility to 23 send electronic notice of a proposed rate increase via email to all 24 customers for whom such utility contacts through email and such email 25 notice shall include information identical to the information provided EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04975-03-5 
 A. 5442 2 1 on the commission's website pursuant to paragraph (l) of this subdivi- 2 sion. In addition, each utility shall include a notice of a proposed 3 rate increase in each customer's next monthly bill statement and such 4 notice in the monthly billing statement shall consist of a separate page 5 which shall include information identical to the information provided on 6 the commission's website pursuant to paragraph (l) of this subdivision. 7 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 8 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 9 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 10 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 11 on or before such effective date.