Delays the zero-emission school bus mandate for a period of five years; requires school districts to only purchase or lease zero-emission school buses by 2032 and requires school districts to only operate and maintain zero-emission school buses by 2040.
Enacts the "packaging reduction and recycling infrastructure act" to require companies selling, offering for sale, or distributing packaging materials and products to register with a packaging reduction organization to develop a packaging reduction and recycling plan; makes related provisions.
This bill creates a new program requiring mattress manufacturers and importers to manage the disposal of used mattresses sold in the state. To comply, producers must submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Conservation that outlines how they will collect discarded mattresses, transport them to designated sites, and recycle or reuse the materials. The legislation sets specific goals for making collection sites accessible to most residents within a few years and defines recycling as separating materials for new products, while excluding burning or landfilling. Retailers are also assigned responsibilities under the law, and the bill establishes an advisory board to oversee the program's implementation.
This bill establishes an extended producer responsibility program for artificial turf in New York, requiring manufacturers and importers to manage the collection and disposal of their products. Under the new rules, producers must submit a plan to the state department by December 2025 to set up a system where they finance the collection, transportation, and recycling or reuse of discarded turf. The legislation defines artificial turf broadly to include shock attenuation layers and infill, ensuring that companies selling branded products or importing turf without a U.S. presence are held accountable. Consumers, including individuals and businesses, will be able to return used turf to designated collection sites, which must accept all types of the product regardless of brand. The bill also clarifies that recycling does not include burning waste for energy or sending it to landfills, focusing instead on material recovery and reuse.
This bill imposes a $50-per-seat or $200-per-flight tax (whichever is greater) on non-essential helicopter and seaplane flights operating within New York City (population over 1 million) starting in 2025. It directly affects flight operators, excluding essential services like emergency response, medical flights, and research, as well as "quiet aircraft" (electric models meeting strict noise standards). Operators must file quarterly tax returns with penalties for late payment, including a 400% penalty for unpaid taxes. The tax aims to reduce urban noise pollution by targeting non-essential air traffic while providing exemptions for quieter aircraft and critical operations.
Prohibits local governments from prohibiting the construction, installation, or operation of carport-mounted solar energy systems with a nameplate capacity of five megawatts or less, in any non-residential zoning district or mixed commercial and residential zoning district of any such city, town or village, provided however, if the zoning district is a certified agricultural district the agricultural impacts of the projects shall be minimized to the extent practicable.
Removes references to the electric school bus mandate; provides that there shall be no mandate requiring school districts to purchase, operate or maintain any certain type of school buses and that the superintendent of each school district shall have the sole authority to determine the types of school buses such school district will purchase, operate and maintain; repeals certain provisions of law relating to electric school buses.
This bill establishes a new permit requirement for "memorial lands facilities," which are areas primarily used for the respectful disposition of cremated and naturally organically reduced human remains. Operators of these facilities must be not-for-profit corporations and obtain a permit from the cemetery board. To receive a permit, they must file an operation plan that includes evidence of a perpetual conservation easement or that the lands are cemetery lands, and commit to not constructing crematories or columbariums on the site. The bill ensures these facilities conform to local zoning and are subject to regulatory oversight by the cemetery board.
This bill amends New York's environmental conservation law to establish requirements for recycling rechargeable batteries. It directly affects battery manufacturers (who must create approved recycling plans), retailers (who must accept used batteries), and consumers (who must return batteries instead of discarding them). Key provisions require retailers to accept up to 10 batteries daily (5 for e-scooter/bike batteries), display clear signage about battery recycling, and provide return options for online purchases. Manufacturers must operate under commissioner-approved collection and recycling plans, which retailers must verify before selling batteries. The law aims to keep batteries out of landfills by creating a structured take-back system.
Relates to rechargeable battery recycling; adds a battery used as the principal electric power source for an electric scooter or bicycle with electric assist to the definition of "rechargeable battery"; provides that a battery manufacturer may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute rechargeable batteries in the state unless the battery manufacturer is implementing or participating under an approved plan; allows a city with a population of one million or more to enforce through its own agencies.
