Bill > A00918

This bill requires the commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to implement an automated system for identifying OTDA program participants who may be eligible for utility affordability programs, specifically expanding the existing requirements to include both energy and water service affordability programs. The bill amends the social services law to broaden the definition of "utility corporation" to include water-works corporations and modifies the definition of "utility corporation affordability programs" to explicitly cover both energy and water service affordability. It mandates that within one year of the effective date, OTDA must create an automated process to identify program participants who could benefit from energy affordability programs, and within one year and six months, do the same for water service affordability programs. The bill requires utility corporations to enroll eligible participants in their affordability programs within 60 days of receiving the matched information, while ensuring that participant data is kept confidential and used only for program enrollment purposes. This legislation aims to help low-income households more easily access utility cost reduction programs by creating a proactive, automated identification and enrollment system.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A918