Enacts the feathered lives also count act directing the commissioner of general services to incorporate practices and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with certain state-owned or state-leased buildings, and for other purposes; requires the commissioner to develop a design guide that includes features, methods and strategies, and best practices for reducing bird fatalities; requires the commissioner to report to the governor and the legislature.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9741
IN SENATE
April 2, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. KAVANAGH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
ment Operations
AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to directing the
commissioner of general services to incorporate practices and strate-
gies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with certain
state-owned buildings, and for other purposes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "feathered
2 lives also count act".
3 § 2. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 148
4 to read as follows:
5 § 148. Use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies in state-
6 owned buildings. 1. As used in this section:
7 (a) "state agency" means any state department, office, board, bureau,
8 commission, agency, or any public authority or public benefit corpo-
9 ration at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor;
10 (b) "state-owned building" means any building owned by a state agency
11 used for official state business; and
12 (c) "state-leased building" means any building or portion of any
13 building leased by a state agency for office, departmental, or residen-
14 tial occupancy.
15 2. The commissioner of general services shall incorporate features,
16 practices, and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from colli-
17 sions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased
18 buildings. Such features, practices and strategies shall be incorpo-
19 rated for each building:
20 (a) constructed;
21 (b) acquired; or
22 (c) of which more than fifty percent of the facade is substantially
23 altered, as determined by the commissioner.
24 3. The commissioner, in consultation with the department of environ-
25 mental conservation, shall develop a design guide to carry out the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00085-01-5
S. 9741 2
1 provisions of subdivision two of this section that includes the follow-
2 ing:
3 (a) features for reducing bird fatality resulting from collisions with
4 state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings,
5 throughout all construction phases, taking into account the number of
6 each such bird fatality that occurs at different types of state-owned
7 buildings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings;
8 (b) methods and strategies for reducing bird fatality resulting from
9 collisions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-
10 leased buildings, during the operation and maintenance of such build-
11 ings;
12 (c) best practices for reducing bird fatality resulting from colli-
13 sions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased
14 buildings, including but not limited to:
15 (i) eliminating non-essential lighting during spring and fall
16 migration;
17 (ii) use of bird-safe film or other after-market products designed to
18 reduce bird collisions;
19 (iii) architectural or design elements that reduce the risk of colli-
20 sions;
21 (iv) use of bird-friendly glass in new construction or renovations
22 that require substantial alterations; and
23 (v) placement of landscaping features and green roofs; and
24 (d) information on how to participate in citizen science efforts that
25 document bird collisions in New York state.
26 4. To carry out the provisions of paragraph (c) of subdivision three
27 of this section, the commissioner shall identify best practices for
28 reducing bird fatality resulting from collisions with state-owned build-
29 ings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings, including best
30 practices recommended by:
31 (a) state, federal, and municipal agencies with expertise in bird
32 conservation;
33 (b) nongovernmental organizations with expertise in bird conservation;
34 and
35 (c) representatives of green building certification systems.
36 5. The commissioner shall disseminate the design guide developed
37 pursuant to subdivision three of this section to all state agencies with
38 independent leasing authority from the commissioner.
39 6. The commissioner shall, every five years, update the design guide
40 developed pursuant to subdivision three of this section with respect to
41 the priorities of the commissioner for reducing bird fatality resulting
42 from collisions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable,
43 state-leased buildings.
44 7. This section shall not apply to any building or site listed, or
45 eligible for listing, on the National Register of Historic Places.
46 8. Not later than October first of each fiscal year, the commissioner
47 shall certify to the governor, the temporary president of the senate,
48 and the speaker of the assembly that the commissioner uses the design
49 guide developed pursuant to subdivision three of this section for build-
50 ings described in subdivision two of this section.
51 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
