Add Art 19 Title 13 §§19-1301 - 19-1313, Art 74 §§74-0101 - 74-0103, En Con L; add Art 8-B §228, Art 25-D
§§863 - 863-g, Lab L; add Art 8 Title 9-B §§1901 - 1922, Pub Auth L; add Art 42 §§3039 - 3047, Art 43 §§3050
- 3058, Tax L
 
Enacts the climate and community investment act; establishes the climate justice working group; establishes the worker and community assurance program; establishes the community just transition program; establishes the climate jobs and infrastructure program; imposes a fee on carbon based fuel sold, used or brought into the state by an applicable entity; establishes trust funds; establishes a rebate program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9856
SPONSOR: Cahill
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, the labor law, the
public authorities law and the tax law, in relation to enacting the
climate and community investment act
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Enacts the climate and community investment act. This act seeks to tran-
sition NY to 1C0% renewable energy, create hundreds of thousands of
jobs, protect workers currently in the fossil fuel industry and support
the communities most impacted by climate change and pollution.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill establishes that the bill shall be cited as the
Climate and Community Investment Act.
Section 2 of the bill establishes legislative findings that climate
change is adversely affecting economic well-being, public health,
natural resources, and the environment of New York; and actions under-
taken by New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have an impact
on the global greenhouse gas emission and the rate of climate change.
Section 3 of the bill amends article 19 of the environmental conserva-
tion law to add a new title 13 addressing air pollution pricing regard-
ing methodology, and air pollutant price index, implementation of fees,
allocation of revenues, inventory, transportation pollution and report-
ing
Section 4 of the bill amends the environmental conservation law to add
article 74 which establishes a climate change working group
Section 5 of the bill amends the labor law by adding article 8-b which
establishes the labor and job standards and worker protection
Section 6 of this bill amends the labor law adding article 25d which
establishes the climate change just transition for impacted workers and
community assurance
Section 7 of this bill amends the public authorities law by adding a new
title 9 b which establishes the climate change just transition
Section 8 of this bill amends the tax law by adding articles 42 and 43
which establishes the climate pollution fee
Section 9 of this bill establishes a severability clause submitted in
accordance with Assembly Rule III. Sec 1
Section 10 of this bill sets the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
It is paramount that New York accelerates its transition from fossil
fuels to clean renewable energy, ensuring that our families breathe
clean air and our economy works for all. We need to protect our fami-
lies', health, create good local jobs, and invest in clean energy
solutions by finally making big polluters pay for the emissions they are
dumping into our atmosphere, which makes our communities sick and
dangerously destabilizes our climate.
To reach 100% clean renewable energy we must place direct investments to
local and regional efforts across New York State to stimulate further
emissions reductions and expand clean renewable and efficient energy
infrastructure. We have to invest in our communities that have suffered
from exposure to years of harmful emissions and economic divestment, and
those on the front lines of climate impacts like extreme heat, rising
sea levels, drought, super storms and extreme flooding.
By setting a price for Greenhouse Gas emissions and co-pollutants that
threaten our health corporate polluters will be incentivized to reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions and instead invest in cleaner technolo-
gies and energy sources. Generating significant revenue to foster commu-
nities abilities to forge their own ways in the new clean energy econo-
my, helping them address local needs for energy and employment.
As our energy systems change, with the closure of older plants and the
scaling back of other sources of pollution it is imperative that we
protect our workers as well as their host communities. It is vital that
we provide support for local schools, government operations, economic
development, ensuring pension payments, helping workers through support
services and an income guarantee.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATION:
2017/2018: S7645 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after enactment.