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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
272
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
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
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00346-01-5
A. 272 2
1 York state climate relocation planning and preparation working group" to
2 develop a state strategy to help prepare for the possibility of
3 increased in-migration due to climate relocation.
4 2. The state strategy developed under this section shall, at a mini-
5 mum:
6 (a) consider all aspects of state government, including, but not
7 limited to, economic development, education, agricultural production,
8 public health, and water resources and management;
9 (b) identify potential impacts of climate relocation on state
10 resources and services; and
11 (c) make recommendations of actions to be taken by state and local
12 government to prepare for such impacts.
13 3. The working group created by subdivision one of this section shall
14 provide the state strategy developed under this section to the regional
15 planning councils by no later than the first of January, two thousand
16 twenty-seven.
17 § 933. Regional climate relocation planning and preparation. 1. The
18 regional planning councils shall develop regional frameworks to help
19 prepare for the implementation of the state strategy developed under
20 section nine hundred thirty-two of this article and any additional
21 regional strategies identified by such regional planning councils.
22 2. The regional frameworks developed under this section shall, at a
23 minimum:
24 (a) consider regional strengths and areas of improvement to help
25 prepare for the possibility of increased in-migration due to climate
26 relocation;
27 (b) identify potential impacts of climate relocation on regional
28 resources and services;
29 (c) identify and prioritize specific projects and initiatives to reac-
30 tivate or develop regional infrastructure, such as housing, sewer, and
31 other infrastructure already existing in areas that have experienced
32 declining population; and
33 (d) incorporate the state strategy developed under section nine
34 hundred thirty-two of this article, as appropriate for each region.
35 3. The regional planning councils shall complete the regional frame-
36 works developed under this section by no later than the first of Janu-
37 ary, two thousand twenty-eight.
38 § 934. Implementation. The department and regional planning councils
39 shall take such actions as may be necessary to develop and implement the
40 state strategy and regional frameworks required under sections nine
41 hundred thirty-two and nine hundred thirty-three of this article.
42 § 935. Funding. The department and regional planning councils are
43 authorized to seek and accept grants, donations, and other forms of
44 funding to support the development and implementation of the state stra-
45 tegy and regional frameworks required under sections nine hundred thir-
46 ty-two and nine hundred thirty-three of this article.
47 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
