A 5666: Provides for a priority call system for use in connection with emergency disconnections of utilities, service coverage and oversight of response time in connection with the emergency disconnection of utilities.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5666 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, COLTON, ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to providing for a priority call system for use in connection with emergency discon- nections of utilities, service coverage and oversight of response time in connection with the emergency disconnection of utilities 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-b to read as follows: 3 § 48-b. Priority call system and reporting. 1. The commission shall 4 establish a priority call system for use by police and fire departments 5 and agencies in the event of an emergency requiring disconnection of 6 utility services provided by a corporation subject to this article. Such 7 system shall be in operation at all times, and shall provide access to 8 one or more employees of a corporation, which employees shall be author- 9 ized to direct the immediate disconnection. The commission shall 10 promulgate such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to carry out 11 the provisions of this section. 12 2. Each corporation subject to the provisions of this article shall 13 establish a priority call system, in accordance with the rules and regu- 14 lations of the commission, for use by police and fire departments and 15 agencies in the event of an emergency requiring disconnection of 16 services provided by the corporation. 17 3. Each corporation subject to the provisions of this chapter shall 18 annually file with the commission a report, in such form as the commis- 19 sion shall prescribe, detailing the dates and circumstances of each 20 requested emergency disconnection, the identity of the person, agency 21 and department making the request, the response to each such request and 22 the time required to accomplish the disconnection of service, together EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03056-01-5 
 A. 5666 2 1 with such other information the commission deems relevant. Failure to 2 comply with the provisions of this subdivision shall result in a penal- 3 ty, payable to the commission, of one thousand dollars per day until 4 such time as the completed report is filed. 5 § 2. Section 65 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 6 subdivision 17 to read as follows: 7 17. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to ensure 8 adequate service, each corporation subject to this article shall assign, 9 at a minimum, one service person for every twenty thousand people in the 10 population in each local area served by the corporation. 11 § 3. Section 66 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 12 subdivision 33 to read as follows: 13 33. The commission shall have the power to require each corporation 14 subject to this article, including electric corporations and gas corpo- 15 rations, to maintain records of and file reports regarding the corpo- 16 ration's response times in connection with the disconnection of service 17 provided by the corporation during emergency situations and during emer- 18 gency and/or disaster preparedness drills conducted by federal, state 19 and local governmental entities, including, but not limited to police 20 and fire departments, and to conduct audits with regard thereto. The 21 commission shall have the power to examine the accounts, books, 22 contracts, records, documents and papers of any such corporation regard- 23 ing the response time, to direct the corporation to implement any recom- 24 mendations the commission finds to be necessary and reasonable, and to 25 impose fines for the failure to follow the commission's recommendations. 26 § 4. Section 80 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 27 subdivision 13 to read as follows: 28 13. The commission shall have the power to require each corporation 29 subject to this article to maintain records of the file reports regard- 30 ing such corporation's response times in connection with the discon- 31 nection of service provided by the corporation during emergency situ- 32 ations and during emergency and/or disaster preparedness drills 33 conducted by federal, state and local governmental entities, including, 34 but not limited to police and fire departments, and to conduct audits 35 with regard thereto. The commission shall have the power to examine the 36 accounts, books, contracts, records, documents and papers of any such 37 corporation regarding the response time, to direct such corporations to 38 implement any recommendations the commission finds to be necessary and 39 reasonable, and to impose fines for the failure to follow the commis- 40 sion's recommendations. 41 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.