S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 3053--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 2, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. ORTT, YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommu-
  nications -- recommitted to the Committee on Energy  and  Telecommuni-
  cations  in  accordance  with  Senate  Rule  6,  sec.  8  -- committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to said committee

AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to  a  rate  classi-
  fication for volunteer emergency response organizations

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings  and  intent.  Volunteer  emergency
response organizations provide a public benefit to the state of New York
and lessen the burdens of government. Further, members of these not-for-
profit  organizations  risk their lives to ensure the safety, health and
general welfare of our citizens. In the past,  the  state  of  New  York
recognized  the  value  of  similar  organizations and the sacrifices of
their members when it established a reduced utility rate  for  veterans'
organizations. Therefore, the legislature hereby finds and declares that
volunteer  emergency  response organizations and veterans' organizations
are similarly situated in their structures, practices and  actions,  and
further  finds and declares that a reduced utility rate is justified for
volunteer emergency response organizations to help ensure their  contin-
ued operation.
  S  2.  Subdivision  14  of  section  66  of the public service law, as
amended by chapter 696 of the laws  of  1936,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  14.  (A)  The  commission  shall have power to require each gas corpo-
ration and electric corporation to establish classifications of  service
based  upon the quantity used, the time when used, the purpose for which
used, the duration of use and upon any other  reasonable  consideration,
and  to  establish in connection therewith just and reasonable graduated

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00462-02-6
              

S. 3053--A                          2

rates and charges; and it shall have power,  either  upon  complaint  or
upon  its  own  motion, to require such changes in such classifications,
rates and charges as it shall  determine  to  be  just  and  reasonable.
Neither  the  scheduled  rates  nor  the  minimum charge for residential
customers shall, after July first,  nineteen  hundred  thirty-seven,  be
based  in any manner on the number of outlets, number of rooms, cubic or
square foot area or other such standards.
  (B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE  COMMIS-
SION  SHALL  REQUIRE  EACH  GAS  CORPORATION AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION TO
ESTABLISH BY JANUARY 1, 2018 A CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICE  FOR  VOLUNTEER
EMERGENCY  RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH THE RATE FOR ANY GAS OR ELEC-
TRIC SERVICE UTILIZED EXCLUSIVELY  IN  CONNECTION  WITH  SUCH  VOLUNTEER
EMERGENCY  RESPONSE  ORGANIZATION  SHALL  BE  NO  GREATER  THAN THE RATE
CHARGED TO VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS PURSUANT TO  SECTION  SEVENTY-SIX  OF
THIS  ARTICLE  THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE SAME VILLAGE, TOWN OR MUNICI-
PALITY. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VOLUNTEER  EMER-
GENCY  RESPONSE ORGANIZATION" SHALL MEAN A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND/OR
A VOLUNTARY AMBULANCE SERVICE AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN  SECTION  ONE
HUNDRED OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW.
  S  3. Subdivision 28 of section 66 of the public service law, as added
by chapter 82 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
  28. (A) No revenues foregone by an electric corporation, as  a  result
of  subjecting  certain  veterans'  organizations  with rates or charges
applicable to domestic consumers pursuant to section seventy-six of this
article, shall be recovered from the customers of such corporation.
  (B) NO REVENUES FOREGONE BY A GAS CORPORATION OR  AN  ELECTRIC  CORPO-
RATION,  AS A RESULT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICE
FOR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION
FOURTEEN  OF THIS SECTION, SHALL BE RECOVERED FROM THE CUSTOMERS OF SUCH
CORPORATION.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.