S 8683: Establishes a medical cost-of-living adjustment and utility bill relief for senior citizens based on documented medical necessity; provides that any gas or electric corporation operating within the state shall, in coordination with the department and the office of temporary and disability assistance, establish a medical cost-of-living adjustment program for residential customers aged sixty-five years or older who incur documented medical expenses necessary to maintain or preserve life or basic bodily function.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8683  IN SENATE January 7, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT to amend the public service law and the social services law, in relation to establishing a medical cost-of-living adjustment and util- ity bill relief for senior citizens based on documented medical neces- sity The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that 2 senior citizens face a disproportionate financial burden from the rising 3 cost of life-sustaining medications and chronic medical treatment. These 4 medical expenses directly impact on a senior's ability to afford basic 5 household necessities, including gas and electric service, and are not 6 adequately reflected in current cost-of-living adjustment calculations. 7 The legislature further finds that protecting medically vulnerable 8 seniors from utility insecurity is consistent with the purposes of the 9 Home Energy Fair Practices Act, the Energy Affordability Policy, and 10 existing low-income energy assistance programs. It is therefore the 11 intent of the legislature to modernize cost-of-living adjustments by 12 incorporating documented medical necessities and to provide graduated 13 utility bill relief tied to essential medical expenses that affect qual- 14 ity of life. 15 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-x to 16 read as follows: 17 § 66-x. Medical cost-of-living adjustment and senior utility relief. 18 1. Any gas or electric corporation operating within the state shall, in 19 coordination with the department and the office of temporary and disa- 20 bility assistance, establish a medical cost-of-living adjustment program 21 for residential customers aged sixty-five years or older who incur docu- 22 mented medical expenses necessary to maintain or preserve life or basic 23 bodily function. 24 2. Participation in the program established pursuant to this section 25 shall be voluntary and opt-in, and no customer shall be enrolled without 26 affirmative consent. 27 3. Each gas and electric corporation shall provide written individual 28 notice and opt-in materials to any residential customer when an individ- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14333-01-6 
 S. 8683 2 1 ual listed on the utility account, billing record, or payment documenta- 2 tion attains the age of sixty-five. Such notice shall inform the custom- 3 er of the availability of medical cost-of-living adjustments and utility 4 bill relief under this section and shall include clear instructions for 5 enrollment. 6 4. Utilities shall re-offer participation and provide updated opt-in 7 materials annually to all customers aged sixty-five and older who are 8 eligible under this section, for the purpose of allowing such customers 9 to submit new or updated medical documentation reflecting changes in 10 health status, medical necessity, treatment duration, or life circum- 11 stances. 12 5. Eligible medical expenses shall include prescription medications 13 and treatments required for the maintenance of heart, lung, brain, 14 kidney, endocrine, neurological, or other chronic or terminal conditions 15 as certified by a licensed medical professional. 16 6. Medical expenses incorporated into cost-of-living adjustment calcu- 17 lations under this section shall be discounted at a graduated rate 18 beginning at fifteen percent and increasing based on documented medical 19 necessity and duration of treatment, provided that such discount shall 20 not exceed twenty-five percent. 21 7. Customers qualifying under this section shall be eligible for a 22 corresponding gas and electric utility bill discount beginning at 23 fifteen percent and escalating up to a maximum of twenty percent, deter- 24 mined by the extent to which such medical expenses are required to 25 sustain life or preserve quality of life. 26 8. Discounts provided under this section shall be applied in addition 27 to, and shall not replace or reduce, any benefits available under the 28 Home Energy Fair Practices Act, the Energy Affordability Policy, the 29 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or any successor programs. 30 9. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 31 implement this section, including but not limited to standards for 32 medical documentation, escalation thresholds, annual notice require- 33 ments, consumer protections against service termination for medically 34 eligible households, and methods to ensure compliance by utilities. 35 § 3. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 97-a 36 to read as follows: 37 § 97-a. Medical cost-of-living adjustment and senior utility relief. 38 Each social services district shall be required, in accordance with 39 state and federal law, to assist eligible households found in such 40 districts to obtain a medical cost-of-living adjust and utility relief 41 pursuant to section sixty-six-x of the public service law. Such 42 districts shall consider documented medical expenses in determining 43 cost-of-living adjustments for senior assistance programs, and shall 44 coordinate with utility corporations for the administration of medical- 45 based utility discounts pursuant to such section sixty-six-x of the 46 public service law. Nothing in this section shall limit eligibility for 47 existing state or federal energy assistance programs, nor reduce bene- 48 fits otherwise available to senior citizens under current law. 49 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 50 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 51 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 52 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 53 completed on or before such date.