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A07894 Summary:

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A07894 Floor Votes:

A07894 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          7894
 
                               2009-2010 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     April 28, 2009
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. SWEENEY -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Environmental Conservation
 
        AN ACT to amend chapter 613 of the laws of 2007,  relating  to  creating
          the  New  York  state  sea level rise task force and providing for the
          repeal of such provisions upon  expiration  thereof,  in  relation  to

          extending certain provisions relating thereto
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Chapter 613 of the laws of 2007, relating to  creating  the
     2  New York state sea level rise task force, is amended to read as follows:
     3    Section 1. 1. New York state sea level rise task force. There is here-
     4  by  established,  within the department of environmental conservation, a
     5  sea level rise task force ("task  force")  which  shall  consist  of  16
     6  members who shall be appointed as follows:
     7    (a)  the  commissioner  of  environmental  conservation  or his or her
     8  designee;
     9    (b) the secretary of state or his or her designee;
    10    (c) the commissioner of transportation or his or her designee;
    11    (d) the commissioner of health or his or her designee;

    12    (e) the director of the state emergency management office  or  his  or
    13  her designee;
    14    (f) the superintendent of insurance or his or her designee;
    15    (g)  two  members  to  be  appointed by the temporary president of the
    16  senate;
    17    (h) two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    18    (i) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
    19    (j) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
    20    (k) one member to be appointed by the mayor of the city of New York;
    21    (l) one member to be appointed by the county executive of  the  county
    22  of Westchester;
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11243-01-9

        A. 7894                             2
 
     1    (m)  one  member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
     2  of Nassau; and
     3    (n)  one  member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
     4  of Suffolk.
     5    2. The at large members should include individuals with  expertise  in
     6  one  or more of the following areas:  climatology; hydrology; economics;
     7  marine fisheries; law  enforcement  and  emergency  management;  estuary
     8  programs; oceanography or coastal ocean science; and ecology or environ-
     9  mental biology.
    10    3. Task force members shall receive no compensation for their services
    11  but  shall  be  reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
    12  the performance of their duties.
    13    4. The chairperson of the task force  shall  be  the  commissioner  of
    14  environmental  conservation or his or her designee. The task force shall

    15  meet no less than four times and at other  times  at  the  call  of  the
    16  chairperson.
    17    5.  Any  vacancies  on  the  task  force shall be filled in the manner
    18  provided for in the initial appointment.
    19    6. The task force shall be authorized  to  hold  public  hearings  and
    20  meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties.
    21    7.  The  task  force  may  consult  with any organization, educational
    22  institution, other government entity or agency or person including,  but
    23  not  limited  to,  the national aeronautics and space administration, in
    24  the development of  its  report  required  by  subdivision  10  of  this
    25  section.
    26    8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the task
    27  force  with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the task
    28  force to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally, all other  agen-

    29  cies  of  the  state  or subdivisions thereof may, at the request of the
    30  chairperson, provide the task force with  such  facilities,  assistance,
    31  and  data  as  will  enable  the  task force to carry out its powers and
    32  duties.
    33    9. The purpose of the New York state sea level rise task  force  shall
    34  be  to  evaluate ways of protecting New York's remaining coastal ecosys-
    35  tems and natural habitats, and increasing coastal  community  resilience
    36  in the face of sea level rise, applying the best available science as to
    37  sea level rise and its anticipated impacts.
    38    10. No later than December 31, [2009] 2010, the task force shall tran-
    39  smit  to  the  governor,  the  temporary president of the senate and the
    40  speaker of the assembly a report containing the following:
    41    (a) an assessment of the anticipated  impacts  related  to  sea  level
    42  rise;

    43    (b)  recommendations related to mechanisms New York could establish to
    44  provide stronger, more protective standards, and the implementation  and
    45  enforcement   of   such  standards  for  coastal  development,  wetlands
    46  protection, shoreline armoring, and post-storm  recovery  for  New  York
    47  state in the context of sea level rise;
    48    (c)  recommendations regarding adaptive measures which may be taken to
    49  respond to sea level rise, including measures to:
    50    (i) protect and connect terrestrial  and  aquatic  habitats  to  allow
    51  animal  and  plant species to migrate as temperatures change, especially
    52  in already fragmented habitats;
    53    (ii) protect and restore habitat on which already stressed animal  and
    54  plant  species  depend  to maintain the integrity of natural communities
    55  and to protect ecological services they provide including flood control,

    56  drinking water supply protection, clean water and clean air;
        A. 7894                             3
 
     1    (iii) identify and monitor early effects of climate change on animals,
     2  plants and natural communities; and
     3    (iv)  integrate  climate change adaptation strategies into state envi-
     4  ronmental plans; and
     5    (d) recommendations on state and  local  regulatory  and/or  statutory
     6  alterations to respond to the impacts of sea level rise.
     7    §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
     8  deemed repealed January 1, [2010] 2011.
     9    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.