Bill Text: NY A09298 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the establishment of reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to low-income customers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-16 - referred to energy [A09298 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A09298-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          9298
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 16, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  DINOWITZ,  GOTTFRIED, COLTON, BLAKE, MILLER,
          SIMON, ROBINSON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, DAVILA,  MAGEE
          -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the establishment
          of  reduced  residential rates for electric and natural gas service to
          low-income customers
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 65 of the public service law is amended by adding a
     2  new subdivision 16 to read as follows:
     3    16.  Reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to
     4  low-income customers. (a) Electric and gas corporations shall  establish
     5  and  continue reduced rate schedules for low-income electric and natural
     6  gas customers. The average effective rate reduction shall  not  be  less
     7  than  twenty-five percent or more than thirty-five percent of the reven-
     8  ues that would have been produced for the same  billed  usage  by  other
     9  residential  customers  receiving  full service from the utility who are
    10  not eligible for the reduced rate.
    11    (b) Reduced residential rates for electric  and  natural  gas  service
    12  shall  be  established  for  any customer who receives benefits from the
    13  supplemental security income program for the aged or disabled  or  other
    14  persons,  the temporary assistance to needy families program, safety net
    15  assistance,  the  supplemental  nutrition  assistance  program,  medical
    16  assistance,  the  home energy assistance program, the telephone lifeline
    17  assistance program, and  any  other  additional  assistance  program  or
    18  income standard approved by the commission.
    19    (c) Providers of electric and natural gas service shall cooperate with
    20  the  commission  and  social  services  districts  and other agencies to
    21  certify and recertify customer  eligibility  through  privacy  protected
    22  data  exchanges  approved by the commission to achieve efficient enroll-
    23  ment of eligible customers.
    24    (d) Providers of electric and natural  gas  service  shall  strive  to
    25  provide  reduced  residential  rates to all customers eligible for them,
    26  and shall provide application forms for reduced rates to  eligible  low-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11486-04-6