NY A07593

Gas and electric corporations must provide call centers offering customer assistance for financial responsibility, service initiation/termination, emergency services, deposits, billing rates, meter requests, rate explanations, trouble orders, high bill investigations, payment arrangements, and referrals to social service agencies.

Gas and electric corporations are prohibited from closing or relocating call centers providing these customer assistance services to another area within New York State or outside the state without notice and a public hearing before the Public Service Commission.

The prohibition on closing or relocating call centers does not apply to debt collection activities that utility companies direct to collection agencies or similar service providers.

The act takes effect sixty days after becoming law, and the Public Service Commission is immediately authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for implementation.