Environment

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 30, 2026

A 9115: Relates to a constitutional right to hunt, trap and fish

This bill proposes adding a constitutional right to hunt, trap, and fish to the state constitution. It states that these activities are part of the state's heritage and must be preserved, requiring state laws to manage wildlife while allowing traditional hunting, fishing, and trapping methods. The bill directly affects hunters, anglers, trappers, and state wildlife agencies, as it mandates that all management must balance preserving this heritage with conservation. Key provisions require state regulations to consistently protect both public access to these activities and wildlife populations, subject to reasonable state rules. The amendment must be referred to the next legislative session after the upcoming election for further consideration.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates wildlife management must balance hunting heritage with conservation, requiring conservation as a core component. This directly supports environmental conservation of natural resources per topic description.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife

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passed · New York · Assembly Mar 4, 2025

K 159: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Native Plant Month in the State of New York

This bill is a symbolic resolution requesting Governor Hochul to declare April 2025 as "Native Plant Month" in New York State, aligning with National Native Plant Month. It does not create new laws or requirements but asks the Governor to formally recognize the ecological importance of native plants through a public proclamation. The resolution highlights how native plants support local wildlife, improve ecosystems, and are well-adapted to New York's environment. It directly affects the Governor's office and aims to encourage public awareness and actions like planting native species. (2 sentences, as it is a procedural resolution)

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentSymbolic recognition of native plants' ecological benefits supports environmental conservation through awareness, though it lacks policy implementation.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7074: Relates to repeat violators who endanger the public health, safety or the environment

This bill (A 7074) increases penalties for individuals or entities repeatedly violating environmental laws that endanger public health, safety, or the environment. It creates a new "fourth degree" offense for those convicted of prior related crimes (like releasing hazardous substances) within the past ten years. The key change upgrades penalties: repeat violations now classified as a class A misdemeanor (up from lower offenses), while higher-level repeat offenses (third and second degree) become class E and D felonies, respectively. This directly affects businesses or individuals with prior environmental violations who reoffend, imposing stricter legal consequences for repeated harm.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill increases penalties for repeat environmental law violations, strengthening enforcement against endangering public health/safety/environment through upgraded misdemeanor classifications.95% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate Mar 26, 2025

S 6917: Enacts the "New York state healthy and green procurement act"

This bill requires New York state agencies to consider health and environmental impacts when purchasing goods and services. It amends procurement rules to include long-term costs like toxic chemical exposure (e.g., in office equipment, building supplies) and environmental damage in budget decisions. The policy mandates that agencies prioritize products with minimal adverse health and environmental effects, such as avoiding mercury or lead in common items. This affects all state agencies making purchases, including schools, hospitals, and government offices, by changing how they evaluate "cost" to include public health and environmental factors.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill requires including long-term health/environmental costs in procurement budget decisions, promoting fiscal responsibility by factoring full lifecycle costs into spending.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates state agencies to prioritize products with minimal environmental harm, avoiding toxins like mercury/lead, directly advancing pollution control and conservation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates avoidance of toxic chemicals (e.g., mercury, lead) in state procurement, reducing public health risks from environmental exposure.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement Hazardous Materials Public Health

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in committee · New York · Assembly Dec 8, 2025

A 760: Relates to banning the use of non-compostable produce stickers

Relates to banning the use of non-compostable produce stickers beginning January 1, 2026; provides civil penalties for violations; provides that fines shall be deposited into the environmental protection fund.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans non-compostable produce stickers to reduce plastic pollution, directing fines to environmental protection fund.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4213: Prohibits the discharge of bilge water into waters of the state

This bill (A 4213) bans the discharge of bilge water into New York's waters. Bilge water is defined as a mixture of water, oils, lubricants, grease, and cleaning fluids that accumulates in the lowest part of a vessel from engine and machinery operations. The law prohibits all vessels, watercraft, marinas, and moorings from releasing this water into any New York state waterways or adjacent waters under state jurisdiction. It directly affects boat operators, marinas, and any entity using watercraft in New York's waters. The prohibition is enforceable immediately upon the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans discharge of bilge water (containing oils, grease, pollutants) into NY waters, directly preventing water pollution and protecting state waterways per bill summary.95% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 8502: Enacts the "fast fashion waste responsibility act"

This bill requires textile producers (brands and manufacturers selling clothing, footwear, or home textiles in New York) to manage the end-of-life waste from their products starting in 2027. Key mechanisms include mandating producers to join or create a shared organization for waste collection, pay fees based on sales volume, establish in-store take-back systems, and report annually on recycling/reuse rates. It also requires new labels showing recycled content, origin, and environmental impact scores, while offering fee reductions for eco-friendly designs. The goal is to reduce New York’s annual 200+ million pounds of textile waste in landfills by shifting responsibility to producers and funding recycling programs through a dedicated waste fund.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates textile producers to manage end-of-life waste, establish take-back systems, and require eco-labeling, directly reducing landfill waste and promoting recycling/reuse per bill's core requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1528: Establishes a tax on carbon-based fuels

S 1528 establishes a tax on carbon-based fuels like coal, natural gas, and petroleum, imposed on fuel distributors and utilities based on carbon dioxide emissions. The tax starts at $35 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and increases by $15 annually to a maximum of $185 per ton. Revenue from the tax funds a dedicated "Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fund," with 60% returned as tax credits to low-to-moderate income residents (below 115% of area median income) and 40% allocated to clean energy transition, mass transit, and climate adaptation projects. The bill requires annual reporting by distributors and utilities and mandates public reporting on tax adjustments to address inflation and climate goals.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill imposes carbon tax but directs 60% revenue to tax credits for low-to-moderate income residents, providing direct tax relief and funding clean energy transit as a public service.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill imposes carbon tax on fossil fuels and allocates 40% of revenue to clean energy transit, directly advancing renewable energy infrastructure and reducing fossil fuel dependence.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentImposes carbon tax on fuels with revenue funding clean energy transit and low-income credits, directly reducing emissions and promoting environmental protection.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates 40% of carbon tax revenue to 'clean energy transit,' directly funding transportation infrastructure improvements per bill summary.85% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Coal Oil & Gas Renewable Energy Public Transit Transportation Funding

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4236: Establishes a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan for New York city

Establishes a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan for cities with a population of one million or more to be implemented by the department of environmental conservation; requires a sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report to be submitted.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates sea level rise mitigation/adaptation plan for NYC, directly addressing climate change impacts through environmental protection measures.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Conservation

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2471: Relates to the state greenhouse gas emission accounting system

Relates to the state greenhouse gas emission accounting system; aligns the state accounting system with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accounting system.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyAligns state emissions accounting with IPCC standards, advancing climate action and supporting renewable energy transition through standardized tracking.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAligns state greenhouse gas accounting with IPCC standards, enhancing transparency and accountability for climate action per IPCC's rigorous climate science framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Climate Change

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