STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 594 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, JACOBSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to semi-annual expenditures and lobbying reports 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 53-b to read as follows: 3 § 53-b. Semi-annual expenditure and lobbying report. 1. On or before 4 March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six and every semi-annual period 5 thereafter, every utility corporation shall report to the department 6 regarding advertising and lobbying on behalf of the utility corporation 7 by the utility corporation, the officers or trustees of the corporation, 8 or any employee of such corporation. 9 2. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have 10 the following meanings: 11 (a) "Lobbying" shall mean any attempt to influence: 12 (i) the passage or defeat of any legislation or resolution by either 13 house of the state legislature including but not limited to the intro- 14 duction or intended introduction of such legislation or resolution or 15 approval or disapproval of any legislation; 16 (ii) the adoption, issuance, rescission or modification of a guberna- 17 torial executive order; 18 (iii) the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the 19 force and effect of law by a state agency; 20 (iv) the passage or defeat of any local law, ordinance, resolution, or 21 regulation by any municipality; 22 (v) the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of any 23 executive order issued by the chief executive officer of a municipality; 24 and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02173-01-5A. 594 2 1 (vi) the adoption or rejection of any rule, regulation, or resolution 2 having the force and effect of a local law, ordinance, resolution or 3 regulation. 4 (b) "Advertising" shall mean any promotional activity or public 5 service announcement that requires the purchase of media space, includ- 6 ing television airtime, radio airtime, internet media space, billboards, 7 newspaper space, magazine space; any private publication which requires 8 the expenditure of any public funds; or any mass letter or other written 9 communication delivered by mail or by comparable delivery service, 10 including email, telephone, or other digital format. 11 3. The utility corporation shall prepare reports to include the 12 following information: 13 (a) For lobbying, such report shall include, but not be limited to: 14 the name of the trustee, officer, employee of the corporation engaging 15 in lobbying; the name of the public official or public employee that was 16 lobbied; the date and time of the meeting or communication; the subject 17 matter of the lobbying, and any expenses incurred by the corporation for 18 travel, lodging, or meals in connection with such lobbying. 19 (b) For advertising, such report shall include, but not be limited to, 20 itemization of any public funds spent on advertising and information 21 pertaining to the advertising marketing plan including measurable goals 22 and objectives for the advertising campaign. 23 4. The requirements of this section shall not be construed to require 24 the disclosure of information that is otherwise protected from disclo- 25 sure by any law, regulation, order, or the civil practice law and rules. 26 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-x to 27 read as follows: 28 § 66-x. Semi-annual expenditure and lobbying report. 1. On or before 29 March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six and every semi-annual period 30 thereafter, every utility corporation shall report to the department 31 regarding advertising and lobbying on behalf of the utility corporation 32 by the utility corporation, the officers or trustees of the corporation, 33 or any employee of such corporation. 34 2. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have 35 the following meanings: 36 (a) "Lobbying" shall mean any attempt to influence: 37 (i) the passage or defeat of any legislation or resolution by either 38 house of the state legislature including but not limited to the intro- 39 duction or intended introduction of such legislation or resolution or 40 approval or disapproval of any legislation; 41 (ii) the adoption, issuance, rescission or modification of a guberna- 42 torial executive order; 43 (iii) the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the 44 force and effect of law by a state agency; 45 (iv) the passage or defeat of any local law, ordinance, resolution, or 46 regulation by any municipality; 47 (v) the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of any 48 executive order issued by the chief executive officer of a municipality; 49 and 50 (vi) the adoption or rejection of any rule, regulation, or resolution 51 having the force and effect of a local law, ordinance, resolution or 52 regulation. 53 (b) "Advertising" shall mean any promotional activity or public 54 service announcement that requires the purchase of media space, includ- 55 ing television airtime, radio airtime, internet media space, billboards, 56 newspaper space, magazine space, any private publication which requiresA. 594 3 1 the expenditure of any public funds, or any mass letter or other written 2 communication delivered by mail or by comparable delivery service, 3 including email, telephone, or other digital format. 4 3. The utility corporation shall prepare reports to include the 5 following information: 6 (a) For lobbying, such report shall include, but not be limited to: 7 the name of the trustee, officer, employee of the corporation engaging 8 in lobbying; the name of the public official or public employee that was 9 lobbied; the date and time of the meeting or communication; the subject 10 matter of the lobbying, and any expenses incurred by the corporation for 11 travel, lodging, or meals in connection with such lobbying. 12 (b) For advertising, such report shall include, but not be limited to, 13 itemization of any public funds spent on advertising and information 14 pertaining to the advertising marketing plan including measurable goals 15 and objectives for the advertising campaign. 16 4. The requirements of this section shall not be construed to require 17 the disclosure of information that is otherwise protected from disclo- 18 sure by any law, regulation, order, or the civil practice law and rules. 19 § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 78-a to 20 read as follows: 21 § 78-a. Semi-annual expenditure and lobbying report. 1. On or before 22 March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six and every semi-annual period 23 thereafter, every utility corporation shall report to the department 24 regarding advertising and lobbying on behalf of the utility corporation 25 by the utility corporation, the officers or trustees of the corporation, 26 or any employee of such corporation. 27 2. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have 28 the following meanings: 29 (a) "Lobbying" shall mean any attempt to influence: 30 (i) the passage or defeat of any legislation or resolution by either 31 house of the state legislature including but not limited to the intro- 32 duction or intended introduction of such legislation or resolution or 33 approval or disapproval of any legislation; 34 (ii) the adoption, issuance, rescission or modification of a guberna- 35 torial executive order; 36 (iii) the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the 37 force and effect of law by a state agency; 38 (iv) the passage or defeat of any local law, ordinance, resolution, or 39 regulation by any municipality; 40 (v) the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of any 41 executive order issued by the chief executive officer of a municipality; 42 and 43 (vi) the adoption or rejection of any rule, regulation, or resolution 44 having the force and effect of a local law, ordinance, resolution or 45 regulation. 46 (b) "Advertising" shall mean any promotional activity or public 47 service announcement that requires the purchase of media space, includ- 48 ing television airtime, radio airtime, internet media space, billboards, 49 newspaper space, magazine space, any private publication which requires 50 the expenditure of any public funds, or any mass letter or other written 51 communication delivered by mail or by comparable delivery service, 52 including email, telephone, or other digital format. 53 3. The utility corporation shall prepare reports to include the 54 following information: 55 (a) For lobbying, such report shall include, but not be limited to: 56 the name of the trustee, officer, employee of the corporation engagingA. 594 4 1 in lobbying; the name of the public official or public employee that was 2 lobbied; the date and time of the meeting or communication; the subject 3 matter of the lobbying, and any expenses incurred by the corporation for 4 travel, lodging, or meals in connection with such lobbying. 5 (b) For advertising, such report shall include, but not be limited to, 6 itemization of any public funds spent on advertising and information 7 pertaining to the advertising marketing plan including measurable goals 8 and objectives for the advertising campaign. 9 4. The requirements of this section shall not be construed to require 10 the disclosure of information that is otherwise protected from disclo- 11 sure by any law, regulation, order, or the civil practice law and rules. 12 § 4. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q to 13 read as follows: 14 § 89-q. Semi-annual expenditure and lobbying report. 1. On or before 15 March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six and every semi-annual period 16 thereafter, every water-works corporation shall report to the department 17 regarding advertising and lobbying on behalf of the utility corporation 18 by the utility corporation, the officers or trustees of the corporation, 19 or any employee of such corporation. 20 2. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have 21 the following meanings: 22 (a) "Lobbying" shall mean any attempt to influence: 23 (i) the passage or defeat of any legislation or resolution by either 24 house of the state legislature including but not limited to the intro- 25 duction or intended introduction of such legislation or resolution or 26 approval or disapproval of any legislation; 27 (ii) the adoption, issuance, rescission or modification of a guberna- 28 torial executive order; 29 (iii) the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the 30 force and effect of law by a state agency; 31 (iv) the passage or defeat of any local law, ordinance, resolution, or 32 regulation by any municipality; 33 (v) the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of any 34 executive order issued by the chief executive officer of a municipality; 35 and 36 (vi) the adoption or rejection of any rule, regulation, or resolution 37 having the force and effect of a local law, ordinance, resolution or 38 regulation. 39 (b) "Advertising" shall mean any promotional activity or public 40 service announcement that requires the purchase of media space, includ- 41 ing television airtime, radio airtime, internet media space, billboards, 42 newspaper space, magazine space, any private publication which requires 43 the expenditure of any public funds, or any mass letter or other written 44 communication delivered by mail or by comparable delivery service, 45 including email, telephone, or other digital format. 46 3. The utility corporation shall prepare reports to include the 47 following information: 48 (a) For lobbying, such report shall include, but not be limited to: 49 the name of the trustee, officer, employee of the corporation engaging 50 in lobbying; the name of the public official or public employee that was 51 lobbied; the date and time of the meeting or communication; the subject 52 matter of the lobbying, and any expenses incurred by the corporation for 53 travel, lodging, or meals in connection with such lobbying. 54 (b) For advertising, such report shall include, but not be limited to, 55 itemization of any public funds spent on advertising and informationA. 594 5 1 pertaining to the advertising marketing plan including measurable goals 2 and objectives for the advertising campaign. 3 4. The requirements of this section shall not be construed to require 4 the disclosure of information that is otherwise protected from disclo- 5 sure by any law, regulation, order, or the civil practice law and rules. 6 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.