NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8868
SPONSOR: Heastie TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to prohibiting
service charges by gas companies for repair, inspection, maintenance or
remedies of damage
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to clarify that gas companies are responsi-
ble for the costs incurred to repair any damage done to a customer's
property in connection with inspecting or replacing a customer's meter
or other gas-related equipment.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 65(6) of the Public Service Law to indicate
explicitly that utilities cannot charge for the repairs to a customer's
property resulting from damage incurred when the utility conducted an
installation, repair or inspection of a customer's meter or other equip-
ment.
Section two is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Although gas utilities are prohibited from charging a customer for
certain actions related to the maintenance and replacement of gas
meters, in some circumstances, customers may be left to pay costs for
personal property damaged by the utility's activities. This bill would
protect customers from having to pay such repair costs by requiring the
utility to be responsible for any resulting repairs.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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8868
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HEASTIE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to prohibiting
service charges by gas companies for repair, inspection, maintenance
or remedies of damage
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 65 of the public service law,
2 subdivision 6 as amended by chapter 204 of the laws of 2010, paragraphs
3 (c) and (d) as amended by and paragraph (e) as added by chapter 375 of
4 the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
5 6. Service charges prohibited. (a) Every gas corporation shall charge
6 for gas supplied a fair and reasonable price.
7 (b) No such corporation shall make or impose an additional charge or
8 fee for service, use, or for the installation, repair, inspection, or
9 maintenance of apparatus or [the use of apparatus installed, except
10 that] any necessary repairs or remedies of damage to personal property
11 therefrom.
12 (c) Such corporation may make or impose a charge [may be made]:
13 [(a)] (i) where entry, inspection or examination as authorized by
14 subdivision nine of this section is denied;
15 [(b)] (ii) for reconnecting the service to a person or corporation if
16 the service to such person or corporation was disconnected, in accord-
17 ance with applicable legal requirements, for non-payment of bills for
18 service;
19 [(b-1)] (iii) for expenses reasonably incurred as determined by the
20 commission in cases of meter tampering and theft of service. Such
21 expenses shall include, but not be limited to, the cost of investigat-
22 ing, repairing and replacing meters and pipes, and the cost of moving a
23 meter and installing it in a secure location;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13357-01-5
A. 8868 2
1 [(c)] (iv) for a remote meter reading device upon the request and
2 consent of the customer;
3 [(d)] (v) for installation of capital improvements and fixtures to
4 promote energy efficiency upon the request and consent of the customer,
5 including but not limited to the performance of qualified energy effi-
6 ciency services for customers participating in green jobs-green New York
7 on-bill recovery pursuant to section sixty-six-m of this article; or
8 [(e)] (vi) for the provision of thermal energy service.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
