S 1846: Requires utility companies to reimburse consumers for spoilage of food and medication due to the lack of refrigeration in the event of a power outage lasting seventy-two hours or more.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1846 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring utility companies to reimburse consumers in the event of a prolonged power outage 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 77-a to read as follows: 3 § 77-a. Utility reimbursement requirements. 1. In the event that a 4 residential utility customer or small business customer experiences a 5 widespread prolonged outage lasting at least seventy-two consecutive 6 hours or more without having been resolved by the utility company, the 7 utility company shall: 8 (a) Provide reimbursement of any food spoiled due to lack of refriger- 9 ation. Residential utility customers shall provide the utility company 10 an itemized list of all food spoiled or proof of loss of food spoiled 11 within fourteen days of the outage. The utility company shall reimburse 12 the customer within thirty days of the receipt of the itemized list or 13 proof of loss. The amount of the reimbursement shall not exceed a total 14 of two hundred thirty-five dollars for customers who provide an itemized 15 list. The amount of the reimbursement for customers who provide proof of 16 loss shall not exceed five hundred forty dollars. 17 (b) Provide reimbursement of prescription medication spoiled due to 18 lack of refrigeration. Residential utility customers shall provide the 19 utility company with an itemized list and proof of loss of prescription 20 medication due to lack of refrigeration within fourteen days of the 21 outage. The utility company shall reimburse the customer within thirty 22 days of the receipt of the itemized list and proof of loss of EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05137-01-5 
 S. 1846 2 1 prescription medication. The amount of the reimbursement shall total no 2 more than the actual loss of perishable prescription medicine. 3 (c) Provide reimbursement to small business customers for any food 4 spoiled due to lack of refrigeration. Small business customers shall 5 provide the utility company with an itemized list for all food spoiled 6 and proof of loss within fourteen days of the outage. The utility compa- 7 ny shall reimburse the small business customer within thirty days of the 8 receipt of the itemized list and proof of loss. The amount of the 9 reimbursement shall total no more than ten thousand seven hundred 10 dollars. 11 2. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 12 implement the provisions of this section. Such rules and regulations 13 shall define the terms "widespread prolonged outage", "small business 14 customer" and "proof of loss". 15 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 16 it shall have become a law.