A02213 Summary:

BILL NO    A02213 

SAME AS    No same as

SPONSOR    Dinowitz (MS)

COSPNSR    Fields, Benedetto, Colton, Brook-Krasny, Lavine, Boyland, Stirpe,
           Clark

MLTSPNSR   Benjamin, Finch, Gabryszak, Gottfried, Jaffee, Maisel, Markey,
           Mayersohn, McEneny, Spano, Thiele

Add S392-j, Gen Bus L

Provides for regulation of providers of carbon offset services; requires
secretary of state and commissioner of environmental conservation to establish
licensing requirements for any carbon offset provider offering offset services;
requires procedures to regulate such providers.

A02213 Actions:

BILL NO    A02213 

01/15/2009 referred to economic development
01/06/2010 referred to economic development

A02213 Votes:

A02213 Memo:

 BILL NUMBER:  A2213

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to the
regulation of providers of carbon offset services


 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill aims to create standards and regulations regarding the sale
of carbon offset services and/or credits in New York State.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section one of the bill amends the general business law by adding a
new section 392-j which would define the terms "carbon offset",
"carbon offset provider", and "carbon offset service" and directs the
secretary of state to establish licensing requirements for carbon
offset providers offering carbon offset services.

Section two of the bill provides for an effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

It is difficult to dispute the fact that humans have played a
significant role global climate change over the last 500 years. The
advents of manufacturing and automobile travel have significantly
increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere which has in turn
increased the earth's temperature resulting in global warming. Many
individuals and organizations have taken steps to reduce their carbon
output by "going green", which usually amounts to the purchase of
carbon offset services that plant trees and take steps to increase
eco-friendly activities throughout the world.

However, a significant portion of these carbon offset services, which
often charge a substantial amount of money for their services, conduct
business with little oversight or government regulation and in some
cases produce more pollution then they purport to eliminate. The
purpose of this bill is to direct the Secretary of State in
consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation to
develop licensing requirements and specific procedures to regulate
providers of carbon offset services.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2007-08:  A.7352 - Referred to Government Operations

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

The licensure of carbon offset providers will generate an undetermined
amount of revenue for the state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 180 days after it becomes law.