<STYLE><!--U {color: Green}S {color: RED} I {color: DARKBLUE; background-color:yellow} P.brk {page-break-before:always}--></STYLE> <BASEFONT SIZE=3> <PRE WIDTH="99"> <FONT SIZE=5><B> STATE OF NEW YORK</B></FONT> ________________________________________________________________________ 4105--A 2025-2026 Regular Sessions <FONT SIZE=5><B> IN ASSEMBLY</B></FONT> January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM, SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to establishing minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers <B><U>The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-</U></B> <B><U>bly, do enact as follows:</U></B> 1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 2 37-b to read as follows: 3 <B><U>§ 37-b. Minimum standards for payment plans. 1. The commission is</U></B> 4 <B><U>authorized and directed to set minimum standards for payment plans for</U></B> 5 <B><U>eligible customers set up by utility companies. Such standards shall</U></B> 6 <B><U>include whether a payment agreement, including any down payment require-</U></B> 7 <B><U>ments, is reasonable. Reasonableness shall be determined by considering</U></B> 8 <B><U>the current household income, ability to pay, payment history including</U></B> 9 <B><U>prior defaults on similar agreements, the size of the bill, the amount</U></B> 10 <B><U>of time and the reasons why the bill has been outstanding, and any</U></B> 11 <B><U>special circumstances creating extreme hardships within the household.</U></B> 12 <B><U>The utility company may require the person to confirm financial diffi-</U></B> 13 <B><U>culty with an acknowledgment from another state or local agency.</U></B> 14 <B><U>2. (a) A payment agreement under this section shall provide for</U></B> 15 <B><U>installments as low as ten dollars per month and no down payment,</U></B> 16 <B><U>provided the customer or applicant demonstrates financial need for such</U></B> 17 <B><U>terms.</U></B> 18 <B><U>(b) Each utility company shall permit each customer a period of not</U></B> 19 <B><U>less than twenty-one days from the date the bill was sent to pay in</U></B> 20 <B><U>full, unless the customer and the utility agree on a different due date.</U></B> 21 <B><U>A utility company shall not withdraw funds from a customer's account</U></B> 22 <B><U>before the due date in cases where a customer uses an automatic bill</U></B> 23 <B><U>payment plan unless the customer agrees to a different period.</U></B> EXPLANATION--Matter in <B><U>italics</U></B> (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [<B><S> </S></B>] is old law to be omitted. LBD03272-02-5 </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> A. 4105--A 2 1 <B><U>(c) While enrolled in a residential payment plan, a residential</U></B> 2 <B><U>customer's utility service may not be terminated unless the residential</U></B> 3 <B><U>customer violates a rule of the utility company on file with the commis-</U></B> 4 <B><U>sion, disconnection is necessary for reasons of health, safety, or state</U></B> 5 <B><U>or national emergencies, or termination is ordered by the commission.</U></B> 6 <B><U>(d) Payment plans shall be offered to allow a customer to pay past-due</U></B> 7 <B><U>amounts over a period of time, unless the amounts due relate to theft of</U></B> 8 <B><U>service, tampering, an unauthorized use of service, or failure to abide</U></B> 9 <B><U>by the terms of a time-payment plan.</U></B> 10 <B><U>(e) In the event a rate change approved by the commission becomes</U></B> 11 <B><U>effective or in the event the supply portion of a customer's bill will</U></B> 12 <B><U>be twenty percent or higher than the supply cost over two consecutive</U></B> 13 <B><U>billing cycles, while a residential customer is enrolled in and in</U></B> 14 <B><U>compliance with a payment plan, such customer shall be provided the</U></B> 15 <B><U>option to spread the effect of the rate change ratably over the remain-</U></B> 16 <B><U>der of the payment plan period. Included with the first adjusted bill,</U></B> 17 <B><U>the utility company shall provide notice to the customer explaining the</U></B> 18 <B><U>reason for the change and showing a calculation of how the utility</U></B> 19 <B><U>company arrived at the new monthly payment.</U></B> 20 <B><U>3. An individual or household shall be determined to be eligible for a</U></B> 21 <B><U>payment plan under this section if such individual or household provides</U></B> 22 <B><U>documentation of eligibility to the utility company for any of the</U></B> 23 <B><U>following programs, provided such documentation is dated no later than</U></B> 24 <B><U>three hundred sixty-five days preceding the date of the payment plan:</U></B> 25 <B><U>(a) temporary assistance for needy families (family assistance);</U></B> 26 <B><U>(b) safety net assistance (public assistance);</U></B> 27 <B><U>(c) supplemental security income (SSI);</U></B> 28 <B><U>(d) supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP);</U></B> 29 <B><U>(e) veterans disability pension and survivors benefits;</U></B> 30 <B><U>(f) child health plus;</U></B> 31 <B><U>(g) lifeline;</U></B> 32 <B><U>(h) home energy assistance program (HEAP);</U></B> 33 <B><U>(i) direct vendor or utility guarantee;</U></B> 34 <B><U>(j) social security disability insurance (SSDI);</U></B> 35 <B><U>(k) Medicaid;</U></B> 36 <B><U>(l) federal public housing assistance;</U></B> 37 <B><U>(m) bureau of Indian affairs general assistance;</U></B> 38 <B><U>(n) Head Start;</U></B> 39 <B><U>(o) tribal TANF;</U></B> 40 <B><U>(p) food distribution program on Indian reservation (FDPIR); and</U></B> 41 <B><U>(q) any other income-based assistance program identified by the</U></B> 42 <B><U>commission and/or the office of temporary and disability assistance.</U></B> 43 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 44 have become a law.