Strengthens Utility Storm Response Requirements

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Senate

      Bill
      S1701

2025-2026 Legislative Session Relates to strengthening of utility storm response and compliance

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Sponsored By

Shelley B. Mayer

(D, WF) 37th Senate District

Current

        Bill Status
        - Passed Senate

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co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

(D) 14th Senate District

Nathalia Fernandez

(D) 34th Senate District

Pete Harckham

(D, WF) 40th Senate District

Michelle Hinchey

(D, WF) 41st Senate District

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co-sponsors

2025-S1701

       (ACTIVE)
      - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill: A2614 Law Section: Public Service Law Laws Affected: Amd §§25, 66, 94, 216 & 25-a, add §25-b, Pub Serv L Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions: 2021-2022: S4960, A7065
2023-2024: S4882, A2877

2025-S1701

           (ACTIVE)
          - Summary

Relates to strengthening of utility storm response and compliance by reviewing mitigating factors including but not limited to mitigating factors and the specifics surrounding the violation or violations.

2025-S1701

         (ACTIVE)
        - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S1701

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to strengthening of
utility storm response and compliance

 
PURPOSE:

To incentivize better regulatory compliance by utilities through
increased flexibility for the Public Service Commission to assess penal-
ties on utilities for violations of the public service law, and to
expand emergency response plan requirements.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 25 of the public service law to eliminate the
statutory limits on penalties for violations by public utility compa-
nies, and to institute a new process by which the public service commis-
sion sets a penalty after consideration of a number of factors relevant
to the violation in question.
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2025-S1701

       (ACTIVE)
      - Bill Text [download pdf](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2025/s1701)

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K

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                               1701

                    2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                         I N  S E N A T E

                         January 13, 2025
                            ___________

Introduced by Sens. MAYER, COMRIE, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN-SIGAL,
SALAZAR, WEBB -- 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 strengthening of
utility storm response and compliance

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Section 25 of the public service law, as added by chapter
665 of the laws of 1980, subdivision 2, paragraph (a) of subdivision 3
and paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 375 of the laws
of 1986, subdivision 4-a as added by chapter 334 of the laws of 2024,
subdivision 4-a as added by chapter 675 of the laws of 2024, is amended
to read as follows:
§ 25. Penalties. 1. Every public utility company, corporation or
person and the officers, agents and employees thereof shall obey and
comply with every provision of this chapter and every order or regu-
lation adopted under authority of this chapter so long as the same shall
be in force.
2. Any public utility company, corporation or person and the officers,
agents and employees thereof that knowingly fails or neglects to obey or
comply with a provision of this chapter OR A REGULATION or [an] order
adopted under authority of this chapter so long as the same shall be in
force, shall forfeit to the people of the state of New York a sum [not
exceeding one hundred thousand dollars constituting a civil penalty for
each and every offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each
day shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense] THAT SHALL BE SET
BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AFTER CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING:
(A) THE SCOPE OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE VIOLATION TO INDIVIDUALS, BUSI-
NESSES AND THE STATE;
(B) EACH INDIVIDUAL ACT OR OMISSION WHICH LED TO THE VIOLATION;
(C) WHETHER THE VIOLATION WAS KNOWING OR WILLFUL;

EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03579-01-5
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