Relates to penalties for certain utilities

Latest action Jan 7, 2026

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

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Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A7610, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Amends the Public Service Law.

Committee

Corporations, Authorities and Commissions · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · New York State Senate, Energy And Telecommunications · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The penalties included in Section 25 and 25-a of the public service law have not been updated since they were introduced in 1986. This bill increases the penalties by 189% to account for historic inflation, and indexes them on an annual basis going forward. Current statute already prevents utilities from passing penalty costs to ratepayers.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Energy And Telecommunications
Senate Energy And TelecommunicationsFeb 25, 2025Result: passed
(6) (3) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Amanda Septimo, Anna Kelles and 8 more on Agora

Democratic10

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Michelle Hinchey says this is needed

Penalties deter utilities from committing illegal action. Inflation over more than thirty years has eroded this deterrent effect, and this bill brings the penalties from 1986 up to contemporary price levels. ft main- tains the deterrent effect In the future by indexing the penalties to inflation. The law should hold utilities sufficiently accountable when they harm consumers.

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.

Full history

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
NY Senate
Jun 13, 2025
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Apr 1, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS
NY Assembly
Mar 27, 2025
Amended
AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1721A
NY Senate

Show full history (4 earlier events)

Mar 3, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Feb 26, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Feb 25, 2025
1ST Report CAL.404
1ST REPORT CAL.404
NY Senate
Jan 13, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Nov 3, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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