Requires the department of environmental conservation to conduct a study on sea level rise in cities with a population of one million or more and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed rules and regulations, to the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chairs of senate and assembly environmental conservation committees, the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee no later than December 31, 2028.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1345
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
requiring the department of environmental conservation to conduct a
study on sea level rise in cities with a population of one million or
more
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a
2 new section 3-0320 to read as follows:
3 § 3-0320. Study on sea level rise; cities with a population of one
4 million or more.
5 1. The department, in consultation with the department of state shall
6 conduct a study on the ongoing and impending sea level rise in cities
7 with a population of one million or more and its effect on the environ-
8 ment and coastal lands. The study shall include:
9 (a) The cause of the sea level rises around the city;
10 (b) A risk assessment that analyzes issues related to the impact of
11 sea level rise;
12 (c) The rates of change in sea level;
13 (d) The effects of sea level rise on flooding and flood mitigation;
14 (e) The effects of the rise in sea level on biodiversity;
15 (f) The effects of sea level on health and vitality of the lands and
16 water fronts;
17 (g) A determination of coastal lands in the state that are and will be
18 impacted by sea level rise;
19 (h) A risk assessment that analyzes issues related to the ownership of
20 state coastal lands, including potential legal challenges related to
21 title from the need to transfer ownership of coastal lands and stranded
22 assets due to sea level rise;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03307-01-5
S. 1345 2
1 (i) A list of coastal lands in the city that may see legal challenges
2 arise from efforts to mitigate the effects of sea level rise;
3 (j) Lists of the coastal properties in the state that are impacted by
4 sea level rise;
5 (k) Information on the residential status of the owners of coastal
6 property in the state that is impacted by sea level rise, including
7 information related to the numbers in real property in occupancy and
8 ownership; and
9 (l) An assessment on effective mitigation techniques and infrastruc-
10 ture changes to curtail the sea level rises in the city.
11 2. The department may consult with and request that each city or coun-
12 ty department or agency, including but not limited to the New York City
13 Department of Environmental Protection and City Planning commission to
14 provide the department with any requested data or materials necessary to
15 conduct the study required by this section, and all agencies and author-
16 ities of the state, and all municipalities and political subdivisions of
17 the state subject to the provisions of this section are hereby directed
18 to cooperate with the department to facilitate the purposes set forth
19 herein.
20 3. The department shall, not later than December thirty-first, two
21 thousand twenty-eight, submit a report of its findings and recommenda-
22 tions, including any proposed rules and regulations, to the temporary
23 president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chairs of
24 senate and assembly environmental conservation committees, the chair of
25 the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and
26 means committee.
27 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
