Bill Text: NY S05322 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the release of individuals from utility corporation services in instances of domestic violence where such individuals request to opt-out in writing and provide certain documents to the utility corporation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-23 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [S05322 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05322-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5322
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     April 25, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 requiring the
          release of individuals from utility corporation services in  instances
          of domestic violence
          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  48-a to read as follows:
     3    §  48-a.  Utility  services;  domestic violence victims. Every utility
     4  corporation shall allow a person who is under  a  shared  contract  with
     5  such  utility  corporation  and who is a victim of domestic violence, to
     6  opt-out of such contract without charge when  such  person  requests  to
     7  opt-out  in  writing and provides to such utility corporation any of the
     8  following documents, which shall relate to such domestic violence, with-
     9  in six months of the document's issuance: (a) a valid domestic  violence
    10  incident  report form, as such term is defined in subdivision fifteen of
    11  section eight hundred thirty-seven of the executive  law;  (b)  a  valid
    12  police  report;  (c) a valid order of protection; (d) a signed affidavit
    13  from a licensed medical or mental health care provider,  employee  of  a
    14  court acting within the scope of his or her employment, social worker, a
    15  rape  crisis  counselor, as defined in section forty-five hundred ten of
    16  the civil practice law and rules, or advocate acting  on  behalf  of  an
    17  agency that assists domestic violence victims. A claim for opting-out of
    18  such  contract  without charge shall be made in good faith. Such utility
    19  corporation shall waive the otherwise applicable charges for such person
    20  requesting to opt-out of such contract.
    21    § 2. This act  shall  take  effect  immediately  and  shall  apply  to
    22  contracts entered into on and after such effective date.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11062-02-9