New York Senate Bill S08447

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/25/25
• Refer: 6/25/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires a fiscal note when a bill enacts or amends a law impacting the cost of utility services.

Summary

This bill would amend the Legislative Law to require a fiscal note on any bill that enacts or amends a law affecting the cost of utility services for ratepayers. The fiscal note would have to state the estimated annual cost to the affected ratepayers and identify the source of that estimate. The bill defines “ratepayer” broadly to include persons paying an electric corporation, gas corporation, combination gas or electric corporation, or a municipality for utility service. In practical terms, the measure is aimed at making the cost impact of utility-related legislation more transparent before enactment. It does not directly change utility rates or regulate utilities themselves; instead, it adds a procedural requirement to the legislative process for bills that could increase or otherwise affect customer bills. The act would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would add a new section 52-a to the Legislative Law, creating a mandatory fiscal-note requirement for legislation that impacts utility service costs. This would affect the drafting and review of future bills in the Legislature by requiring an estimate of annual costs to ratepayers and disclosure of the estimate’s source. The main parties affected would be legislators, bill drafters, fiscal staff, and indirectly utility customers and municipalities that purchase utility services.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available, so there is no documented debate or formal voting sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and consumer-cost disclosure proposal rather than a substantive utility-rate change. The available context suggests a neutral administrative approach focused on informing lawmakers and the public about potential cost impacts.

Contention

Because there are no transcripts or votes, no specific points of contention are documented in the available record. Potential areas of debate, however, would likely center on how estimates are calculated, whether the fiscal note requirement could slow the legislative process, and whether the mandate should apply broadly to any bill that could indirectly affect utility costs. Stakeholders most likely to care would include legislators, utility companies, consumer advocates, municipalities, and ratepayer groups.