New York S 1721: Relates to penalties for certain utilities

Bill Text

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S01721 Summary:

BILL NOS01721A

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A07610

&nbsp

SPONSORHINCHEY

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§25 & 25-a, Pub Serv L

&nbsp

Enacts the "utility penalty adjustment"; adjusts utility penalties to account for inflation; increases such penalties and ties them to inflation after January 1, 2027.

Go to top S01721 Actions:

BILL NOS01721A

&nbsp

01/13/2025REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

02/25/20251ST REPORT CAL.404

02/26/20252ND REPORT CAL.

03/03/2025ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 

03/27/2025AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1721A

06/13/2025COMMITTED TO RULES

01/07/2026REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Go to topS01721 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01721 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01721 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1721--A
 Cal. No. 404

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 13, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
 cations -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first
 and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered
 reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

 AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to certain penalties

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "utility penalty adjustment".
 3 § 2. Subdivisions 2, 3 and 4 of section 25 of the public service law,
 4 subdivision 2, paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 and paragraph (a) of
 5 subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 375 of the laws of 1986 and subdivi-
 6 sions 3 and 4 as added by chapter 665 of the laws of 1980, are amended
 7 and a new subdivision 4-b is added to read as follows:
 8 2. Any public utility company, corporation or person and the officers,
 9 agents and employees thereof that knowingly fails or neglects to obey or
 10 comply with a provision of this chapter or an order adopted under
 11 authority of this chapter so long as the same shall be in force, shall
 12 forfeit to the people of the state of New York a sum not exceeding [one]
 13 two hundred ninety thousand dollars constituting a civil penalty for
 14 each and every offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each
 15 day shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense.
 16 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision two of this section,
 17 any such public utility company, corporation or person and the officers,
 18 agents and employees thereof that knowingly fails or neglects to obey or
 19 comply with a provision of this chapter, or an order or regulation
 20 adopted under the authority of this chapter, adopted specifically for
 21 the protection of human safety, including but not limited to the commis-
 22 sion's code of gas safety regulations shall, if it is determined by the
 23 commission that such safety violation caused or constituted a contribut-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00506-05-5

 S. 1721--A 2

 1 ing factor in bringing about a death or personal injury, forfeit to the
 2 state of New York a sum not to exceed the greater of:
 3 (a) [two] seven hundred [and fifty] twenty thousand dollars constitut-
 4 ing a civil penalty for each separate and distinct offense; provided,
 5 however, that for purposes of this paragraph each day of a continuing
 6 violation shall not be deemed a separate and distinct offense. The total
 7 period of a continuing violation, as well as every distinct violation,
 8 shall be similarly treated as a separate and distinct offense for
 9 purposes of this paragraph; or
 10 (b) the maximum forfeiture determined in accordance with subdivision
 11 two of this section.
 12 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one or two of this
 13 section, a public utility company, corporation or person and the offi-
 14 cers, agents and employees thereof that knowingly fails or neglects to
 15 obey or comply with a provision of this chapter, or an order or regu-
 16 lation adopted under authority of