S 8935: Requires detailed billing for utilities and requiring utility providers to attend local municipal meetings to present proposed rate or charge increases.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8935  IN SENATE January 16, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. OBERACKER -- 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, in relation to requiring detailed billing for utilities and requiring utility providers to attend local municipal meetings to present proposed rate or charge increases The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 12-a of section 66 of the public service law, 2 as added by chapter 527 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 12-a. Have power to fix and alter the format and informational 5 requirements of bills utilized by public and private gas corporations, 6 electric corporations and gas and electric corporations in levying 7 charges for service, to assure simplicity and clarity and to require 8 indication of any adjustment charges, including but not limited to fuel 9 adjustments, in monetary amounts. The commission shall require bills 10 utilized by public and private gas corporations, electric corporations 11 and gas and electric corporations in levying charges for service, to 12 additionally include a full itemization of all charges. The commission 13 shall further ensure periodic explanation of applicable rates and rate 14 schedules for the purpose of assisting customers in making the most 15 efficient use of energy. 16 § 2. Subdivision 12 of section 66 of the public service law is amended 17 by adding a new paragraph (n) to read as follows: 18 (n) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (b) of this subdivi- 19 sion, the commission shall require every utility proposing an increase 20 in any rate or charge to attend no less than three public municipal 21 meetings per county that will be impacted by such proposed increase. A 22 utility subject to the provisions of this paragraph shall include a 23 notice of upcoming municipal meetings which the utility is attending to 24 present a proposed rate or charge increase with the bill of every 25 customer impacted by such proposed increase. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14191-02-6 
 S. 8935 2 1 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 44 of the public service law, as added 2 by chapter 713 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows: 3 1. Every utility corporation or municipality shall assure that bills 4 for service to residential customers [adequately] explain in detail the 5 charges for service in clear and understandable form and language. The 6 commission [may] shall, from time to time, specify the form and content 7 of such bills to further the objectives of this subdivision. 8 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 9 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.