Senate Bill S 4513 requires applicants for major projects located in or within one mile of a disadvantaged community to submit an enhanced public participation plan. This plan, submitted to the environmental department, must describe the project's potential impacts, the affected community, and how public information and input will be managed. Key provisions include holding at least three public meetings, providing information in plain language, and offering translations into common non-English languages to ensure meaningful community involvement in the permit process.
Bill S 672 updates the environmental conservation law regarding environmental restoration projects, primarily affecting municipalities and entities involved in remediating contaminated sites. It allows for project funding starting in fiscal year 2025-2026 and expands the definition of "contaminant" to include emerging contaminants and PFAS substances. The bill modifies how responsible party settlement payments are applied to project costs and adds new criteria for prioritizing projects, such as those in disadvantaged communities or addressing drinking water contamination. Additionally, it broadens state indemnification for municipalities, successors, lessees, and lenders involved in these remediation efforts.
Creates a legislative task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation that will benefit residents of New York state by fostering stewardship and conservation of the environment, and an appreciation of the importance of the wise use of natural resources as well as acknowledgment of the health benefits of time spent in nature.
Directs the state fire prevention and building code council to update the state fire prevention and building code and the state energy conservation construction code within 18 months of the publication of any updated or revised edition of the international and national codes relating thereto, so as to ensure that the state's codes reflect such revisions and updates.
Requires certain municipal planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to receive at least one hour of environmentally conscious planning training annually.
Provides that it is deceptive to misrepresent that a product or package is recyclable unless it can be collected, separated or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program for reuse or use in manufacturing or assembling another item; requires the department of environmental conservation to develop regulations on types and forms of plastic products and packaging for which a claim of recyclability may be made; requires all rigid plastic containers sold in this state be labeled with a code that indicates the resin used to produce such container; makes related provisions.
S 7507 requires most retail businesses in New York to provide proof of purchase (like receipts) electronically upon customer request, phasing out mandatory paper receipts. Starting January 1, 2028, businesses cannot print paper receipts unless a customer specifically asks for them; by January 1, 2030, customers must be offered electronic options if they want a receipt (with small businesses having extended deadlines until 2030/2032). The bill excludes healthcare providers and allows businesses to skip electronic receipts during technical issues like outages. Violations carry $20 penalties per incident (capped at $300 annually), enforced by the state.
Provides an exemption from requirements for the alienation of parkland for renewable energy generating projects with a generating capacity not exceeding two megawatts and which are located above real property currently used for vehicle parking.
This bill allows local municipal agencies responsible for waste management to install and use surveillance cameras to identify people illegally dumping waste. It directly affects towns and cities with authority over sanitation, enabling them to review camera footage as evidence. The key provision authorizes these agencies to deploy cameras in areas prone to illegal dumping and use the footage to track down violators. The law takes effect immediately upon passage, focusing solely on expanding local enforcement tools for waste management.
Directs the department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with the department of environmental conservation, to establish standards for designation of native plants, to develop a list of native plants that indicates and differentiates between native plants that are indigenous to New York state and those that are native plants found elsewhere in the United States that are likely to shift or expand their range into NY, to establish a New York native plant designation, and to offer seals or logos identifying native plants as grown in New York state; defines "native plants".