Environment (Climate Change)

This bill asks Governor Kathy Hochul to officially declare May 3-9, 2026, as Compost Awareness Week in New York. The resolution highlights the benefits of composting, such as reducing waste in landfills, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and improving soil health. It serves as a public education initiative to encourage communities and organizations to learn more about composting practices. The bill does not create new laws or funding but instead promotes awareness of an existing international observance.

This bill designates May 29, 2026, as "Learn About Composting Day" to raise public awareness about the benefits of composting food waste. The resolution highlights that composting can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil health, and help mitigate climate change impacts. It does not create new laws or require any specific actions from citizens or businesses. The measure serves as a symbolic gesture to encourage sustainable waste management practices in New York State.

Prohibits the public service commission authority to order collection of charges from ratepayers for greenhouse gas reduction unrelated to the electric grid.

This bill requires gas stations and large fuel consumers to post bilingual warning signs at fuel pumps stating that the products release air pollutants and greenhouse gases linked to health impacts and climate change. The law applies to retail outlets and wholesale purchasers with storage tanks of at least 550 gallons, mandating that signs be displayed in both English and Spanish with specific lettering requirements. State and municipal officials are authorized to inspect fuel facilities, review records, and issue warnings or fines of up to $1,000 for violations, with violators' names potentially published monthly. Municipalities retain the right to enforce existing local laws on this matter as long as they do not conflict with the new state requirements.

This bill asks Governor Kathy Hochul to officially recognize Earth Hour on March 28, 2026, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm in New York State. The resolution encourages residents and businesses to turn off non-essential lights during that hour to raise awareness about climate change and environmental conservation. It does not create new laws or require any specific actions, but rather serves as a symbolic gesture to join global efforts for environmental protection. The measure is a commemorative resolution that directs the governor to acknowledge the event rather than impose any new regulations or obligations.

S 9324 changes how the state measures greenhouse gas emissions by updating the timeframe used to calculate "carbon dioxide equivalent" from 20 years to 100 years. This means emissions will now be assessed based on their long-term warming impact over a century, rather than a shorter 20-year period. The bill directly affects state environmental agencies and programs that track emissions, as they must use this new metric for reporting and analysis. The change modifies a specific definition in environmental law without altering emission reduction targets or creating new regulations.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state transportation, economic development and environmental conservation budget for the 2026-2027 state fiscal year; extends provisions of law relating to increasing certain motor vehicle transaction fees (Part A); extends the accident prevention course internet technology pilot program (Part B); establishes a demonstration program in the city of New York for the installation and operation of intelligent speed assistance devices (Part D); extends provisions of law relating to motor vehicles equipped with autonomous vehicle technology (Part E); expands the automated work zone speed enforcement program utilizing photo speed violation monitoring systems to include all New York highways (Part G); extends provisions of law relating to certain tax increment financing provisions relating to the New York transit authority and the metropolitan transportation authority (Part H); authorizes the MTA to conduct environmental reviews under SEQRA for the crosstown extension of the Second Avenue subway project in two stages (Part I); enacts the dairy promotion act; enacts provisions related to the marketing of agricultural products in New York state; repeals certain provisions relating thereto (Part J); extends the refundability of the investment tax credit for farmers (Part K); authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to finance a portion of its research, development and demonstration, policy and planning, and Fuel NY program from an assessment on gas and electric corporations (Part M); requires gas, electric, steam and water-works corporations to provide an executive compensation disclosure; requires such corporations to return all revenues derived from their actual return on equity in excess of the authorized rate of return to ratepayers; clarifies costs not to be included in rates (Part N); authorizes the public service commission to consider and approve multi-year changes in rates or charges for utilities (Part O); establishes an energy affordability index; permits the public service commission to implant affordability monitors in certain gas or electric corporations (Part P); makes reforms to the state environmental quality review act relating to sustainable housing and sprawl prevention (Part R); increases rebates for certain vehicles purchased by municipalities (Part S); extends the effectiveness of certain provisions of law relating to the powers and duties of the dormitory authority to establish subsidiaries (Part T); authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York to lease and contract to make available certain land on the state university of New York at Farmingdale's campus (Subpart A); authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York to lease and contract to make available certain land on the state university of New York at Stony Brook's campus (Subpart B); authorizes the commissioner of transportation to transfer and convey certain state-owned real property in the town of Babylon, county of Suffolk (Subpart C); authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York to lease and contract to make available grounds and facilities on the state university of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to the Abby Lane Housing Corporation (Part D)(Part U); extends the authority of the New York state urban development corporation to administer the empire state economic development fund (Part V); extends the loan powers of the New York state urban development corporation (Part W); enacts the "safe by design act" to authorize the attorney general to promulgate rules and regulations identifying methods for reasonable and technically feasible age assurance which may consider the size, financial resources, and technical capabilities of covered platforms, the costs and effectiveness of available age determination techniques for users of such platforms, the audience of such platforms, and prevalent practices of the industry of the operator (Part Y); relates to requiring insurers to provide written explanations for premium changes in certain covered policies (Part BB); places limitations on damages resulting from motor vehicle accidents (Part EE); requires insurers to file annual reports on insurance for multi-family buildings with the superintendent of financial services (Part GG); relates to the annual consumer guide of health insurers (Subpart A); relates to ongoing treatment by an out-of-network provider during pregnancy (Subpart B); relates to accessible formulary drug lists (Subpart C); relates to utilization reviews for treatment for a chronic health condition (Subpart D) (Part HH); extends the policy period for excess profit refunds or credits to motor vehicle insurance policyholders; requires insurers to submit reports demonstrating whether the insurer realized an excess profit and completed making any credits required (Part KK); relates to the effectiveness of the New York state health insurance continuation assistance demonstration project (Part LL); enacts the "Long Island MacArthur Airport terminal and rail integration project act" (Part NN); extends the effectiveness of certain provisions permitting videoconferencing and remote participation in public meetings under certain circumstances (Part OO); exempts major electric generating facilities that provide emergency back-up generation for manufacturing facilities that produce semiconductors from siting requirements set forth in article 10 of the public service law (Part PP); establishes the crime of criminal interference with access to a place of religious worship (Part QQ); extend provisions of law permitting NYC, Nassau and Suffolk to retain a portion of certain fines under the Cleaner, Greener NY Act of 2013 (Part RR); enacts the accelerate solar for affordable power (ASAP) act to direct the public service commission to advance reforms to the utility interconnection process to ensure timely and cost-effective integration of new distributed energy resources (Part SS); establishes a blue ribbon commission on residential affordability through energy savings (RATES commission) to study the causes and origins of rising utility rates and to recommend actions or reforms to reduce rates; provides for the repeal of such commission upon expiration thereof (Part TT); authorizes the creation of a traffic camera violations bureau to adjudicate owner liability for failure of operator to stop for a school bus displaying a red visual signal and stop-arm (Part UU); relates to climate change; requires the plan toward achieving the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits to be updated in 2028 and every six years thereafter; outlines factors to include when developing a regulatory program or programs (Part VV); establishes a monitor team to oversee the Wyandanch union free school district (Part WW); relates to certain retirement benefit enhancements members of tier VI (Part XX); relation to the re-amortization and valuation methods used for contributions to the New York city employees retirement system, the New York city teachers' retirement system, the police pension fund, subchapter two, the fire department pension fund, subchapter two and the board of education retirement system of such city (Part YY); relates to service retirement benefits for uniformed members of the New York city fire department pension fund (Part ZZ); provides for longevity bonuses relating to first grade firefighters and promotions from the firefighter rank (Part AAA); requires certain pension systems to submit a self-report to the superintendent of the department of financial services; requires the superintendent of the department of financial services to submit a report on such reports (Part BBB); allows a beneficiary of a member whose death occurs on or after July 1, 2026 and who would have been entitled to a service credit at the time of such member's death to elect to receive a lump sum payment equal to the pension reserve that would have been established had the member retired on the date of such member's death (Part CCC); relates to certain retirement benefit enhancements for certain state law enforcement officers (Part DDD); relates to the treatment of prior service with certain agencies by the New York city police pension fund (Part EEE); relates to the restoration of 20 year service retirement for certain New York city corrections officers and sanitation workers (Part FFF); provides for the administration of certain funds and accounts related to the 2026--2027 budget (Part GGG); adds ten additional judges to the civil court of the city of New York (Part HHH); establishes the Excelsior power program designed to reduce peak energy demand (Part III); authorizes certain work in connection with the District Galleria project in the city of White Plains (Part JJJ).

Creates an exception in the uniform fire prevention and building code for zero on-site greenhouse gas emissions for buildings whose building permit was issued prior to a certain date.

Establishes the climate corporate data accountability act requiring certain business entities within the state to annually disclose scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions; establishes the climate accountability and emissions disclosure fund.

This bill repeals New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which established the state's primary climate goals including 100% clean electricity by 2040. It removes the legal framework for climate targets, renewable energy requirements, and related provisions for disadvantaged communities. The bill also makes technical updates to references in other laws that previously cited the repealed CLCPA. This action eliminates the state's binding climate policy without creating new requirements.