S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4996
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 10, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, COLTON, HOOPER -- Multi-Sponsored by --
         M. of A. ABINANTI, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the  Commit-
         tee on Economic Development
       AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public service law, in relation to requiring at
         least one commissioner of the public service commission to have  expe-
         rience in utility consumer advocacy
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 4 of the public  service  law,  as
    2  amended  by  chapter  155  of  the  laws  of 1970, is amended to read as
    3  follows:
    4    1. There shall be in the department of public service a public service
    5  commission, which shall possess the powers and duties hereinafter speci-
    6  fied, and also all powers necessary or proper to enable it to carry  out
    7  the  purposes  of  this  chapter.  The  commission shall consist of five
    8  members, to be appointed by the governor, by and  with  the  advice  and
    9  consent of the senate. A commissioner shall be designated as chairman of
   10  the commission by the governor to serve in such capacity at the pleasure
   11  of  the  governor  or  until  his term as commissioner expires whichever
   12  first occurs. AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE EXPERIENCE IN UTILITY
   13  CONSUMER ADVOCACY. No more than three commissioners may  be  members  of
   14  the same political party unless, pursuant to action taken under subdivi-
   15  sion  two,  the  number  of commissioners shall exceed five, and in such
   16  event no more than four commissioners may be members of the  same  poli-
   17  tical party.
   18    S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
   19  have become a law and shall apply to appointments made on or after  such
   20  date.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07125-01-5