A 739 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Directs the secretary of state to prepare and distribute to cities, towns and villages criterion for a comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance

Summary
Directs the secretary of state to prepare and distribute to cities, towns and villages criterion for a comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance; updates general lighting restrictions.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

A739 A739A · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends the General Municipal Law to require state agencies to prepare a comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance focused on reducing glare, energy waste, and sky glow. It also adds new lighting restrictions to the Public Buildings Law, including specific definitions for lighting terms and requirements for fully shielded fixtures on high-lumen outdoor lighting.
Scope change
The bill expands from a single model ordinance to include both a comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance and new lighting restrictions in the Public Buildings Law that apply to state agencies.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the title from 'Model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance' to 'Comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance' and updated the purpose to specifically address glare hindering visual performance, energy waste, and sky glow.

Added new requirements for state agencies to use fully shielded fixtures for roadway, parking-lot, and pedestrian lighting exceeding 3,000 lumens.

Added an exception allowing aerial sports fields to use up to 8% uplight.

Added a requirement that the comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance must comply with subdivision two of section 143 of the Public Buildings Law.

DEFINITION

Added 17 new definitions including CCT (color temperature), direct light, facade lighting, fully shielded fixture, fixture lumens, glare, illuminance, lamp, light trespass, lumen, lux, fixture, ornamental roadway lighting, parking-lot lighting, permanent outdoor fixture, roadway lighting, sky glow, and state agency.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Amendments
2
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
lower
Nov 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
PRINT NUMBER 739A
lower
Nov 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
lower
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Linda Rosenthal
Linda Rosenthal
DDemocratic
NY
67