Relates to the establishment of reduced residential rates for electric and natural gas service to low-income customers

• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Kevin S. Parker says this is needed

Utility service is an absolute necessity of life, regardless of a house- hold's income 1 evel. Lives are threatened when people don't have safe, reliable acces s to electricity, heating, and water supply. Society pays early when terminations occur. These added costs are reflected in higher emergency public assistance and medical care, increased homelessness,the illness or death of vulnerable people, and the cost of putting out fires due to the use of other means of light and heat such as the use of candles. New York electric utility rates for residential customers are 50's high- er than the national average. That is simply not affordable for many customers. Furthermore, Shut offs and Shut Off notices place many customers with unaffordable bills in jeopardy of losing essential utility services. In addition, threats of utility shut offs add extreme stress and compound many families and seniors' already precarious financial circumstances. Utility shutoff threats and actual shutoffs often can spiral into crisis situations, create danger- ous conditions in homes and apartment build- ings, which could result in the loss of life or other serious harm to customers and their neighbors. Typically, shutoff notices and shutoff surge in the months of April, May, and June, otherwise known as "Shutoff Season." Consequently, it becomes even more important that low-income customers, eligible seniors and disabled persons and others who are Eligible for assistance receive some relief from 17,a,: York's utility rates, which are the highest in the nation. The legislation is necessary to assist New York families, seniors, the disabled and other low-income persons and cushion the in from New York's inordinately high Electric and gas rates, which will in turn protect them and the State's finances from the hardships and costs that ensue when people's utility service is not affordable.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.