Establishes the climate relocation planning and preparation act to prepare state government and regional planning councils for the possibility of increased in-migration to New York state due to climate change.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6844
SPONSOR: Levenberg TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the climate
relocation planning and preparation act
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to help the State prepare for the
potential of internal migration of people relocating due to climate
change and disruption.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the Executive Law by adding a new Article 43 that
creates the Climate Relocation Planning and Preparation Act. Included in
this legislation are definitions for the following terms "department",
"regional planning council" and "climate relocation". It also estab-
lishes the New York State Climate Relocation Planning and Preparation
Working Group to develop a strategy to help prepare for the possibility
of increased in-migration due to climate relocation, and asks the
state's regional planning councils to develop a similar frame-work in
their service areas to encourage the same kinds of preparation.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
Not application at this time.
JUSTIFICATION:
It is an indisputable fact that our planet's climate is undergoing rapid
change and disruption. We see this in the headlines about extreme
storms, droughts, wildfires, melting glaciers, and disappearing species,
and in our own daily lives, with intense heatwaves, changing growing
seasons, and more. But the effects of climate change are not evenly
distributed across the globe. While some areas will become increasingly
challenging to live in due to the factors outlined above, there is an
expectation that some areas will appear to be a more welcoming and
viable option for human settlement. Science writer David Pogue has
described Upstate New York as one of those places. In his book "How to
Prepare for Climate Change," Pogue describes several Upstate regions,
including Buffalo and Syracuse, as climate havens because of their prox-
imity to the Great Lakes and reduced vulnerability to other types of
disasters such as earthquakes, severe hurricanes, and wildfires. While
climate disruption remains unpredictable, it is likely that Pogue's
analysis will be accurate. As other parts of the country grow hotter,
dryer, and less hospitable, New York is likely to emerge as a desirable
place to relocate. According to Forbes, almost a third of peopl e plan-
ning to move in 2023 are citing worsening weather conditions as a reason
to relocate, and many others who have already relocated were influenced
by changing weather patterns. Drought and wildfires are substantial
contributors to this trend, a circumstance we are sadly unlikely to see
reversed any time soon. Climate relocation is already happening, and our
state should be prepared to welcome these new New Yorkers.
This legislation will encourage state and regional bodies to begin the
process of planning for such in-migration. It will operate at two
levels. First, a state-level interagency working group would be estab-
lished among the various executive agencies to develop a framework that
will address how climate relocation will interact with policy areas like
economic development, education, agriculture, public health, and our
natural resources, including what state resources may be needed. Second,
it asks the state's regional councils to undertake a similar approach
and develop a framework that is appropriate to their region. These
regional bodies are already engaged in the work of planning for issues
and needs in local areas, guided by local governments and stakeholders,
and have deep experience in and knowledge of their regions. The regional
councils will develop frameworks that consider in-migration and that
will prioritize specific projects and initiatives to develop or reacti-
vate regional infrastructure, as well as incorporate suggestions from
the state strategy as appropriate for their area. Taken together, a
state and regional framework will help the state be prepared and ready
to act as climate relocation ramps up.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is new legislation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
The fiscal implications associated with the passage of this legislation
are expected to be minimal.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6844
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 8, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the climate
relocation planning and preparation act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 43 to
2 read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 43
4 CLIMATE RELOCATION PLANNING AND PREPARATION ACT
5 Section 930. Short title.
6 931. Definitions.
7 932. New York state climate relocation planning and preparation
8 working group.
9 933. Regional climate relocation planning and preparation.
10 934. Implementation.
11 935. Funding.
12 § 930. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as
13 the "climate relocation planning and preparation act".
14 § 931. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms
15 shall have the following meanings:
16 1. "Department" means the department of state.
17 2. "Regional planning council" means a regional planning council
18 established pursuant to section two hundred thirty-nine-h of the general
19 municipal law.
20 3. "Climate relocation" means increased migration and relocation of
21 individuals to more desirable locations due to the impacts of climate
22 change.
23 § 932. New York state climate relocation planning and preparation
24 working group. 1. The department shall establish an interagency "New
25 York state climate relocation planning and preparation working group" to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10382-02-3
A. 6844 2
1 develop a state strategy to help prepare for the possibility of
2 increased in-migration due to climate relocation.
3 2. The state strategy developed under this section shall, at a mini-
4 mum:
5 (a) consider all aspects of state government, including, but not
6 limited to, economic development, education, agricultural production,
7 public health, and water resources and management;
8 (b) identify potential impacts of climate relocation on state
9 resources and services; and
10 (c) make recommendations of actions to be taken by state and local
11 government to prepare for such impacts.
12 3. The working group created by subdivision one of this section shall
13 provide the state strategy developed under this section to the regional
14 planning councils by no later than the first of January, two thousand
15 twenty-five.
16 § 933. Regional climate relocation planning and preparation. 1. The
17 regional planning councils shall develop regional frameworks to help
18 prepare for the implementation of the state strategy developed under
19 section nine hundred thirty-two of this article and any additional
20 regional strategies identified by such regional planning councils.
21 2. The regional frameworks developed under this section shall, at a
22 minimum:
23 (a) consider regional strengths and areas of improvement to help
24 prepare for the possibility of increased in-migration due to climate
25 relocation;
26 (b) identify potential impacts of climate relocation on regional
27 resources and services;
28 (c) identify and prioritize specific projects and initiatives to reac-
29 tivate or develop regional infrastructure, such as housing, sewer, and
30 other infrastructure already existing in areas that have experienced
31 declining population; and
32 (d) incorporate the state strategy developed under section nine
33 hundred thirty-two of this article, as appropriate for each region.
34 3. The regional planning councils shall complete the regional frame-
35 works developed under this section by no later than the first of Janu-
36 ary, two thousand twenty-six.
37 § 934. Implementation. The department and regional planning councils
38 shall take such actions as may be necessary to develop and implement the
39 state strategy and regional frameworks required under sections nine
40 hundred thirty-two and nine hundred thirty-three of this article.
41 § 935. Funding. The department and regional planning councils are
42 authorized to seek and accept grants, donations, and other forms of
43 funding to support the development and implementation of the state stra-
44 tegy and regional frameworks required under sections nine hundred thir-
45 ty-two and nine hundred thirty-three of this article.
46 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
