Bill Text: NY S00131 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires gas and electric utilities to make available to landlords or lessors, upon request of prospective tenants or lessees, information concerning gas and electric charges incurred for residential rental premises.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-04 - REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS [S00131 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S00131-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           131
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 4, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by Sen. SQUADRON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
          cations
        AN  ACT  to  amend the public service law, in relation to making gas and
          electric billing information for residential rental premises available
          upon request
          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-o to read as follows:
     3    § 66-o. Gas and electric billing information  for  residential  rental
     4  premises.  Every  gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality
     5  shall make available to any landlord or  lessor  of  residential  rental
     6  premises,  within  ten  days of receipt of a written or internet request
     7  therefor from any prospective tenant or lessee  thereof,  prior  to  the
     8  commencement  of tenancy or execution of a lease, information consisting
     9  of the average monthly charges incurred at  such  premises  for  gas  or
    10  electric  service  or  both  for  the  life  of the dwelling unit or the
    11  preceding two year period, whichever is shorter.    The  letter  by  the
    12  prospective tenant or lessee shall include their name, address, driver's
    13  license  number  or  social  security  number or taxpayer identification
    14  number or non-driver ID card or any official documented or  undocumented
    15  immigration identification, signature, and acknowledge that this billing
    16  information  requested  may  only be used for the purpose of determining
    17  prior gas and electric usage as a  factor  in  deciding  to  occupy  the
    18  dwelling  unit.  Each prospective tenant or lessee is limited to a total
    19  of five requests in a calendar year within the state of New York.   Such
    20  information  shall  be  identified solely by the address of the dwelling
    21  unit, and no other information identifying the owner, lessee,  or  other
    22  occupant  of  the dwelling unit shall be utilized for, or made available
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02673-01-7
        S. 131                              2
     1  in connection with, the furnishing of billing  information  pursuant  to
     2  this section.  Such information shall be furnished to both  the landlord
     3  or  lessor and to the prospective tenant or lessee with an imposition of
     4  a  five dollar charge to the prospective tenant or lessee requesting the
     5  billing information payable to the gas corporation, electric corporation
     6  and municipality providing such information.
     7    § 2. The public service commission is directed to: (a) create a  proc-
     8  ess whereby a prospective tenant or lessee may obtain by written request
     9  or  by  the  internet  to  the gas corporation, electric corporation and
    10  municipality the average monthly electric and gas charges for  the  life
    11  of  the  dwelling  unit  or  the preceding two year period, whichever is
    12  shorter, prior to the commencement of tenancy or execution  of  a  lease
    13  while  maintaining  the  privacy  of  the  current tenant or lessor; (b)
    14  ensure the request is made only for the purpose of deciding  whether  to
    15  occupy  a  dwelling  unit;  and  (c) determine the cost of providing the
    16  information by the utility and assess a fee to the prospective tenant or
    17  lessee requesting the information payable to the gas corporation,  elec-
    18  tric corporation and municipality providing the information.
    19    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    20  it  shall have become a law; provided that the public service commission
    21  is authorized to  promulgate any and all rules and regulations and  take
    22  any other measures necessary to implement this act on its effective date
    23  on or before such date.