S 4179: Prohibits utility companies from certain replevin actions; provides that the continued provision of all or any part of gas, electric and steam service to all residential and commercial customers without unreasonable qualifications or lengthy delays is necessary for the preservation of the health and general welfare and is in the public interest; establishes the seizure of electric, gas, or steam meters is against the public interest.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4179 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 3, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, the public service law and the public authorities law, in relation to prohibiting utility companies from certain replevin actions The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 7101 of the civil practice law and rules is amended 2 to read as follows: 3 § 7101. When action may be brought. (a) An action under this article 4 may be brought to try the right to possession of a chattel. 5 (b) This article shall not apply to the provision of any part of the 6 gas, electric or steam service provided to any residential customer or 7 non-residential customer by any gas, electric or steam corporation or 8 municipality, including the Long Island power authority. It is hereby 9 declared to be the policy of this state that the continued provision of 10 all or any part of such gas, electric and steam service to all residen- 11 tial and commercial customers without unreasonable qualifications or 12 lengthy delays is necessary for the preservation of the health and 13 general welfare and is in the public interest. The seizure of electric, 14 gas, or steam meters is against the public interest. 15 § 2. Section 32 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 16 subdivision 7 to read as follows: 17 7. Utility service shall not be terminated for any residential elec- 18 tric or gas service to a residence in a manner as described in section 19 seventy-one hundred one of the civil practice law and rules. 20 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 21 1020-nn to read as follows: 22 § 1020-nn. Service termination. Utility service shall not be termi- 23 nated for any residential electric or gas service to a residence in a 24 manner as described in section seventy-one hundred one of the civil 25 practice law and rules. 26 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07783-01-5