STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

3503

2023-2024 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 3, 2023 ___________

Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, D. ROSENTHAL, ZEBROWSKI, RAMOS, SIMON, REYES, DICKENS, FAHY, THIELE, EICHENSTEIN, OTIS, SEAWRIGHT, ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to customers with life-saving equipment during a service disruption

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section: 2 "customer with life-saving equipment" shall have the same meaning as a 3 person living in a residence that uses a life support system as defined 4 in subdivision 12 of section 65 of the public service law. 5 2. a. The public service commission shall commence a rulemaking 6 proceeding to set minimum requirements regarding customers with life- 7 saving equipment. Such rulemaking proceeding shall establish a plan 8 that, in the event of an electric service disruption, requires electric 9 corporations to: 10 i. provide backup generators capable of powering life-saving equipment 11 to customers with life-saving equipment, including refueling or recharg- 12 ing services; or 13 ii. provide temporary lodging accommodations at a location capable of 14 powering life-saving equipment, including but not limited to compen- 15 sation for hotel rooms or hospital admissions, based on the duration of 16 the electric service disruption to customers with life-saving equipment; 17 and 18 iii. prioritize electric service restoration to customers with life- 19 saving equipment. 20 b. Upon adoption by the commission, each electric corporation shall 21 incorporate the established minimum requirements into its emergency 22 response plan pursuant to subdivision 21 of section 66 of the public

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00902-01-3

A. 3503 2

1 service law and shall inform its customers of such information via posts 2 on its website, e-mail and bill inserts. 3 § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 65-c to 4 read as follows: 5 § 65-c. Customers with life-saving equipment. 1. Definitions. For 6 purposes of this section: 7 "customer with life-saving equipment" shall have the same meaning as a 8 person living in a residence that uses a life support system as defined 9 in subdivision twelve of section sixty-five of this article. 10 2. Customers with life-saving equipment. (a) Electric corporations 11 shall establish a unique priority phone number that shall remain in 12 operation every day of the year for customers with life-saving equip- 13 ment. 14 (b)Information regarding such phone number shall be provided in bill 15 inserts, via e-mail, and posted on electric corporations' websites and 16 shall include reminders for existing customers with life-saving equip- 17 ment to call such number to ensure they are still registered with the 18 electric corporation as a customer with life-saving equipment. 19 (c) Customers with life-saving equipment shall be able to call such 20 number established by paragraph (a) of this subdivision at any time, 21 including a time preceding or during an electric service disruption to: 22 i. register with an electric corporation so as to be placed on its 23 current list of customers who use life support systems pursuant to 24 subdivision twelve of section sixty-five of this article; 25 ii. receive information or projections regarding the severity of a 26 storm, storm-like electric emergency or system emergency, if applicable; 27 iii. report an outage or receive instructions on how to report an 28 outage; 29 iv. receive updated information regarding the estimated time of resto- 30 ration, including website links to outage maps updated every thirty 31 minutes, if applicable; 32 v. receive outage safety precautions, including but not limited to: 33 storm survival without electric power, safety precautions regarding 34 electrical hazards such as downed wires and the use of portable genera- 35 tors; 36 vi. receive information regarding dry ice distribution, if applicable; 37 vii. receive information regarding power charging locations, if appli- 38 cable; 39 viii. receive information regarding cooling locations, if applicable; 40 ix. receive information regarding the claims process for spoiled food 41 and medication, if applicable; 42 x. receive potential information adopted pursuant to a rulemaking 43 proceeding commenced by the commission regarding restoration prioritiza- 44 tion, backup generators, or compensation for lodging in the event of an 45 electric service disruption for customers with life-saving equipment, if 46 applicable; and 47 xi. receive information regarding the facilitation of transportation 48 to the nearest hospital or facility that is capable of powering life- 49 saving equipment, if applicable. 50 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.