Relates to automated identification of OTDA program participants for participation in utility corporation affordability programs for water service affordability, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    766
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to automated  iden-
   tification  of  OTDA program participants for participation in utility
   corporation affordability programs for water service affordability
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subdivision 1 and subdivision 2
 of section 131-ss of the social services law, as amended by a chapter of
 the laws of 2024 amending the social services law relating to  automated
 identification  of  OTDA assistance program participants, as proposed in
 legislative bills numbers S. 9100 and A. 9522, are amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   (d)  "Utility  corporation"  shall  include utility companies, utility
 corporations, public utility companies, public utility corporations, gas
 corporations,  electric  corporations,  municipalities  as  defined   in
 section  two  of  the  public  service law and regulated pursuant to the
 public service law, water-works corporations SUBJECT TO SECTION FIFTY OF
 THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW, a municipal  corporation  that  provides  public
 utility  services,  a  rural  electric  cooperative,  or  a state public
 authority that provides utility services.
   (e) "Utility corporation [energy]  affordability  programs"  shall  be
 defined by the public service commission and shall be limited to utility
 corporation  programs which are intended to assist customers with energy
 OR WATER SERVICE affordability by reducing customers'  energy  or  water
 service burden, AS APPLICABLE.
   2.  Within one year of the effective date of this section, the commis-
 sioner shall provide for automated  identification  of  OTDA  assistance
 program participants for participation in utility corporation [energy or
 water  service] affordability programs FOR ENERGY AFFORDABILITY pursuant
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02907-01-5
 S. 766                              2
 
 to subdivision four of this section.  WITHIN ONE YEAR AND SIX MONTHS  OF
 THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE FOR
 AUTOMATED IDENTIFICATION OF OTDA PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS FOR  PARTICIPATION
 IN UTILITY CORPORATION AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS FOR WATER SERVICE AFFORDA-
 BILITY PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION.
   §  2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 131-ss of the
 social services law, paragraph (a) as amended and paragraph (b) as added
 by chapter 78 of the laws of 2024, are amended to read as follows:
   (a) To the extent permitted by federal law, regulations and  policies,
 the  office,  upon  the  utility corporation agreeing to and signing the
 office's data terms and upon receipt of the required data elements  from
 the  utility  corporation,  as  such  data  elements  are defined by the
 office, shall conduct automated file matching to identify utility corpo-
 ration customer accounts that are also OTDA assistance  program  partic-
 ipants  and, if permitted by federal law, regulations and policies, such
 information shall be provided to utility corporations no less than semi-
 annually. Utility corporation customer accounts identified by the office
 as potentially eligible for participation in  available  utility  corpo-
 ration [energy] affordability programs as a result of such file matching
 shall be, if confirmed as eligible for such utility corporation [energy]
 affordability  programs  by  the  utility  corporation, enrolled in such
 utility corporation  [energy]  affordability  programs  by  the  utility
 corporation  within  sixty days of receipt by the utility corporation of
 the results of the automated file match. Any information provided to the
 utility corporations related to  OTDA  assistance  program  participants
 pursuant  to this section shall not be redisclosed by the utility corpo-
 ration and shall only be utilized for the purpose of  confirming  eligi-
 bility  in  the  utility  corporation [energy] affordability program and
 providing notifications pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivision.
   (b) Upon automatic enrollment  in  the  utility  corporation  [energy]
 affordability  program,  the  utility  corporation shall provide written
 notification to the utility corporation [energy]  affordability  program
 participant of their enrollment in such program.
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the social services law
 relating to automated identification of OTDA assistance program  partic-
 ipants,  as  proposed  in legislative bills numbers S. 9100 and A. 9522,
 takes effect.