STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2400 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. EICHENSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring evidence and consideration of the economic impact of utility rates and charges by the public service commission The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 65 of the public service law, as 2 amended by chapter 789 of the laws of 1930, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 1. Every gas corporation, every electric corporation and every munici- 5 pality shall furnish and provide such service, instrumentalities and 6 facilities as shall be safe and adequate and in all respects just and 7 reasonable. All charges made or demanded by any such gas corporation, 8 electric corporation or municipality for gas, electricity or any service 9 rendered or to be rendered, shall be just and reasonable and not more 10 than allowed by law or by order of the commission. In determining wheth- 11 er charges are just and reasonable, consideration shall be given to the 12 economic impact of such charges upon consumers and the area served by 13 each such gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality. Every 14 unjust or unreasonable charge made or demanded for gas, electricity or 15 any such service, or in connection therewith, or in excess of that 16 allowed by law or by the order of the commission is prohibited. 17 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 79 of the public service law, as amended 18 by chapter 134 of the laws of 1921, is amended to read as follows: 19 1. Every steam corporation shall furnish and provide such service, 20 instrumentalities and facilities as shall be safe and adequate and in 21 all respects just and reasonable. All charges made or demanded by any 22 such corporation for such service rendered or to be rendered shall be 23 just and reasonable and not more than allowed by order of the commis- 24 sion. In determining whether charges are just and reasonable, consider- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02234-01-5A. 2400 2 1 ation shall be given to the economic impact of such charges upon consum- 2 ers and the area served by each such steam corporation. Every unjust or 3 unreasonable charge made or demanded for such service, or in connection 4 therewith or in excess of that allowed by law or by the commission is 5 prohibited. 6 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 89-b of the public service law, as added 7 by chapter 715 of the laws of 1931, is amended to read as follows: 8 1. Every water-works corporation shall furnish and provide such 9 service, instrumentalities and facilities as shall be safe and adequate 10 and in all respects just and reasonable. All charges made or demanded by 11 any such water-works corporation for water, or for equipment furnished 12 or for any service rendered or to be rendered shall be just and reason- 13 able and not more than allowed by law or by order of the commission. In 14 determining whether charges are just and reasonable, consideration shall 15 be given to the economic impact of such charges upon consumers and the 16 area served by each such water-works corporation. Every unjust or unrea- 17 sonable charge made or demanded for water or for equipment furnished or 18 for any such service, or in connection therewith, or in excess of that 19 allowed by law or by the order of the commission is prohibited. 20 § 4. Subdivision 1 of section 91 of the public service law, as added 21 by chapter 673 of the laws of 1910, is amended to read as follows: 22 1. Every telegraph corporation and every telephone corporation shall 23 furnish and provide with respect to its business such instrumentalities 24 and facilities as shall be adequate and in all respects just and reason- 25 able. All charges made or demanded by any telegraph corporation or tele- 26 phone corporation for any service rendered or to be rendered in 27 connection therewith shall be just and reasonable and not more than 28 allowed by law or by order of the commission. In determining whether 29 charges are just and reasonable, consideration shall be given to the 30 economic impact of such charges upon consumers and the area served by 31 each such telegraph corporation and telephone corporation. Every unjust 32 or unreasonable charge made or demanded for any such service or in 33 connection therewith or in excess of that allowed by law or by order of 34 the commission is prohibited and declared to be unlawful. 35 § 5. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 119-e 36 to read as follows: 37 § 119-e. Economic impact. 1. Prior to approving any major increase in 38 rates or charges proposed by a public utility company or municipality, 39 the commission shall consider the economic impact of any such proposed 40 increase in the rates or charges upon consumers in the area served by 41 the company or municipality proposing such increase. For purposes of 42 this subdivision, "major increase" shall mean an increase in the rates 43 and charges which would increase the aggregate revenues of the applicant 44 more than the greater of three hundred thousand dollars or two and one- 45 half percent. 46 2. The commission shall consider unemployment data, median income 47 information and the number of persons receiving social services assist- 48 ance with respect to the applicable service area. In addition, the 49 commission shall consider in reaching its determination in any such rate 50 case: 51 a. the average monthly utility bill for each class of customers who 52 would be affected by an increased rate or charge and the estimated 53 increased utility bill for each such class of customers; and 54 b. the latest federal bureau of labor statistics consumer price index 55 figures indicating the average cost of living and the average cost ofA. 2400 3 1 fuel and utilities for the nation and, if possible for the state or the 2 service area affected by such increased rate or charge. 3 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to each 4 request for increased rates or charges submitted on or after the effec- 5 tive date of this act.