Senate Bill S8534

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires the public service commission and the department of environmental conservation to conduct audits of private water companies

download bill text pdf

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2021-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10726
Current Committee:
Assembly Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:
Public Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §89-q, Pub Serv L; add §15-0319, En Con L; amd §8, St Fin L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S1791

2021-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the "small water utility transparency act"; requires the public service commission and the department of environmental conservation to conduct audits of certain private water companies; requires certain private water companies which are under certain investigations to file public updates on the status of compliance with such orders.

2021-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S8534 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8534
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- 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, the environmental conservation
   law and the state finance law, in relation to  reporting  requirements
   and audits of private water companies

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "small
 water utility transparency act".
   §  2.   The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-q
 to read as follows:
   § 89-Q. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION WITH RESPECT TO PRIVATE WATER  COMPA-
 NIES.  1.  THE  COMMISSION,  IN COORDINATION WITH THE COMPTROLLER, SHALL
 CONDUCT FULL AUDITS OF REGULATED  PRIVATE  WATER  COMPANIES  WITH  GROSS
 ANNUAL  REVENUES BELOW TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ON A THREE- TO
 FIVE-YEAR CYCLE, AS DETERMINED BY  THE  COMMISSION.  SUCH  AUDITS  SHALL
 FOCUS  ON  CAPITAL  INVESTMENT  IN THE PRIVATE WATER COMPANY, COMPLIANCE
 WITH STATE AND FEDERAL WATER  SAFETY  REGULATIONS  AND  LAWS,  FINANCIAL
 CAPACITY  OF  THE PRIVATE WATER COMPANY, MANAGEMENT ABILITY AND FUNCTION
 OF THE PRIVATE WATER COMPANY, WATER  ADEQUACY  AND  SUFFICIENCY  OF  THE
 PRIVATE WATER SYSTEM AND AFFORDABILITY.
   2.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  REQUIRE  THAT  ANY REGULATED PRIVATE WATER
 COMPANY WITH GROSS ANNUAL REVENUES  BELOW  TWO  HUNDRED  FIFTY  THOUSAND
 DOLLARS WHICH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION EITHER BY MOTION OF THE COMMISSION,
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  EIGHTY-NINE-I  OF THIS ARTICLE, OR PURSUANT TO AN
 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE SHALL FILE REGULAR PUBLIC UPDATES ON THE  STATUS  OF
 COMPLIANCE  WITH  SUCH  ORDER. THE COMMISSION SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND
 REGULATIONS REGARDING SUCH REQUIREMENT INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 DETERMINING  HOW  OFTEN  SUCH  PUBLIC  UPDATES SHALL BE PROVIDED AND THE
 MANNER IN WHICH SUCH PUBLIC UPDATES SHALL BE  PROVIDED  TO  THE  PUBLIC.
 THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  BE AUTHORIZED TO ESTABLISH AND COLLECT FINES FOR
 NON-COMPLIANCE WITH  THIS  SUBDIVISION.    SUCH  FINES  MAY  BE  SET  AT
 INCREASED RATES FOR REPEATED NON-COMPLIANCE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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