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Assembly approves utility-notice bill requiring 45 days’ notice for substantial rate increases
Summary
The Assembly passed legislation requiring gas and electric utilities to provide 45 days’ notice to customers for major rate increases; backers said the rule gives families time to plan, critics urged clearer itemization of charges.
The Assembly passed a bill (Senate 1194-b / rules report 2 23 on the calendar) requiring gas and electric utilities to provide customers 45 days’ notice of substantial rate increases.
Assembly Member Paul Messano (floor explanation) said the bill narrows an earlier version and focuses notice requirements on major rate increases under subdivision (c). He and other supporters said advance notice would give families—who face rising costs in housing, food and childcare—time to plan and would improve transparency about what drives higher utility bills.
Several members urged more specificity in disclosure, saying bills should itemize charges (for example, green-energy mandates) so customers can see what they are paying for. Supporters acknowledged the need for further detail and noted separate legislation or PSC rulemaking may be needed to clarify itemization of charge line items.
The bill passed on the recorded vote: Ayes 144, Noes 0. Proponents framed the measure as straightforward consumer-protection transparency; debate included references to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and the need for cost-benefit analysis of energy mandates, although the bill itself does not require itemized tracing of such mandates into bills.
