A 272: 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.