Bill Text: NY S01326 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to establishing discount programs for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability; provides that utilities, waterworks corporations, telephone corporations and cable television companies shall create discount programs that provide a 10 percent discount to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability; defines terms.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-12 - 2ND REPORT CAL. [S01326 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-S01326-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1326 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, COMRIE, FERNANDEZ, HINCHEY, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to establishing discount programs for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a disability 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 66-x to read as follows: 3 § 66-x. Utility discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 4 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a 5 gas corporation, electric corporation or municipality to establish a 6 discount program for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 7 disability no later than ninety days after the effective date of this 8 section. Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to low-income senior 9 citizens and individuals with a disability in the form of a ten percent 10 discount on utility bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall not 11 be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by a gas 12 corporation, electric corporation or municipality to customers. 13 (b) A gas corporation, electric corporation or municipality which 14 offers such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the avail- 15 ability and amount of such discount on the website of such gas corpo- 16 ration, electric corporation or municipality. The availability and 17 amount of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the 18 accessibility page of the website of such gas corporation, electric 19 corporation or municipality. 20 2. For the purposes of this section: 21 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 22 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 23 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03282-01-5S. 1326 2 1 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 2 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 3 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as veri- 4 fied by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 5 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 6 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 7 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 8 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 9 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 10 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 11 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 12 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 13 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 14 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 15 and 16 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 17 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 18 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 19 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 20 income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as verified by the 21 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 22 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 23 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 24 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 25 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q to 26 read as follows: 27 § 89-q. Water discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 28 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require 29 waterworks corporations and municipal water systems to establish a 30 discount program for low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 31 disability no later than ninety days after the effective date of this 32 section. Such program shall offer a yearly benefit to low-income senior 33 citizens and individuals with a disability in the form of a ten percent 34 discount on water utility bills. The fiscal impact of such program shall 35 not be borne by customers and shall not be added to bills rendered by a 36 waterworks corporation or municipal water system to customers. 37 (b) A waterworks corporation or municipal water system which offers 38 such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and 39 amount of such discount on the website of such waterworks corporations 40 or municipal water system. The availability and amount of such discount 41 shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the 42 website of such waterworks corporation or municipal water system. 43 2. For the purposes of this section: 44 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 45 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 46 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 47 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 48 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 49 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as veri- 50 fied by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 51 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 52 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 53 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 54 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 55 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 56 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtueS. 1326 3 1 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 2 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 3 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 4 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 5 and 6 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 7 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 8 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 9 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 10 income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as verified by the 11 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 12 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 13 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 14 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 15 § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 91-b to 16 read as follows: 17 § 91-b. Telephone discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 18 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a 19 telephone corporation to establish a discount program for low-income 20 senior citizens and individuals with a disability no later than ninety 21 days after the effective date of this section. Such program shall offer 22 a yearly benefit to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 23 disability in the form of a ten percent discount on telephone bills. The 24 fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers and shall 25 not be added to bills rendered by a telephone corporation to customers. 26 (b) A telephone corporation which offers such discount program shall 27 conspicuously advertise the availability and amount of such discount on 28 the website of such telephone corporation. The availability and amount 29 of such discount shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessi- 30 bility page of the website of such telephone corporation. 31 (c) Participation in the federal government's lifeline or affordable 32 connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem 33 sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone corporation's obligation to 34 establish a discount program under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, 35 unless the commission deems it insufficient to satisfy such require- 36 ments. 37 (d) Before applying a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi- 38 sion, a telephone corporation may require proof of eligibility from the 39 primary named accountholder for the calendar year in which the discount 40 is sought. 41 2. For the purposes of this section: 42 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 43 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 44 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 45 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 46 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 47 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as veri- 48 fied by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 49 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 50 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 51 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 52 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 53 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by the 54 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 55 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 56 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv-S. 1326 4 1 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 2 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 3 and 4 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named telephone 5 service accountholder who (i) is at least sixty-five years of age; and 6 (ii) either (A) has had a total household income of less than fifty 7 thousand dollars for two consecutive income tax years beginning in two 8 thousand twenty, as verified by the department of taxation and finance; 9 or (B) is annually eligible to receive assistance under the emergency 10 rental assistance program (ERAP) or the home energy assistance program 11 (HEAP) and provides proof of eligibility from the agency administering 12 ERAP or HEAP. 13 § 4. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 224-d 14 to read as follows: 15 § 224-d. Cable discount program. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other 16 provision of law, the commission is authorized and directed to require a 17 telephone corporation, as defined in subdivision seventeen of section 18 two of this chapter, and a cable television company, as defined in 19 section two hundred twelve of this article, that provides cable service 20 to customers in New York, to establish a discount program for low-income 21 senior citizens and individuals with a disability no later than ninety 22 days after the effective date of this section. Such program shall offer 23 a yearly benefit to low-income senior citizens and individuals with a 24 disability in the form of a ten percent discount on cable bills. The 25 fiscal impact of such program shall not be borne by customers and shall 26 not be added to bills rendered by a telephone corporation or cable tele- 27 vision company to customers. 28 (b) A telephone corporation or cable television company which offers 29 such discount program shall conspicuously advertise the availability and 30 amount of such discount on the website of such telephone corporation or 31 cable television company. The availability and amount of such discount 32 shall also be conspicuously advertised on the accessibility page of the 33 website of such telephone corporation or cable television company. 34 (c) Participation in the federal government's lifeline or affordable 35 connectivity program, or any successor program the commission shall deem 36 sufficient, shall satisfy the telephone corporation's or cable tele- 37 vision company's obligation to establish a discount program under para- 38 graph (a) of this subdivision, unless the commission deems it insuffi- 39 cient to satisfy such requirements. 40 (d) Before applying a discount under paragraph (a) of this subdivi- 41 sion, a telephone corporation or cable television company may require 42 proof of eligibility from the primary named accountholder for the calen- 43 dar year in which the discount is sought. 44 2. For the purposes of this section: 45 (a) "individuals with a disability" shall mean a primary named utility 46 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder (i) with a 47 disability, as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred 48 ninety-two of the executive law; and (ii) who has had a total household 49 income of less than fifty thousand dollars for the most recent two 50 consecutive income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as veri- 51 fied by the department of taxation and finance; and (iii) who is 52 currently receiving (A) social security disability insurance (SSDI), (B) 53 supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under the federal social 54 security act, (C) disability pension or disability compensation benefits 55 provided by the United States department of veterans affairs, (D) disa- 56 bility pension or disability compensation benefits provided by theS. 1326 5 1 United States Postal Service, or (E) those previously eligible by virtue 2 of receiving disability benefits under the supplemental security income 3 program or the social security disability program and currently receiv- 4 ing medical assistance benefits based on determination of disability as 5 provided in section three hundred sixty-six of the social services law; 6 and 7 (b) "low-income senior citizen" shall mean a primary named utility 8 service, water service, or telephone service accountholder who (i) is at 9 least sixty-five years of age; and (ii) either (A) has had a total 10 household income of less than fifty thousand dollars for two consecutive 11 income tax years beginning in two thousand twenty, as verified by the 12 department of taxation and finance; or (B) is annually eligible to 13 receive assistance under the emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) 14 or the home energy assistance program (HEAP) and provides proof of 15 eligibility from the agency administering ERAP or HEAP. 16 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
