A 3999: Establishes the mechanical insulation energy savings program to provide grants for qualified mechanical insulation expenditures to school districts, public hospitals, public housing buildings, and political subdivisions that have completed a qualified audit.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3999 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing the mechanical insulation energy savings program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new 2 section 1885 to read as follows: 3 § 1885. Mechanical insulation energy savings program. 1. Definitions. 4 For purposes of this section: 5 (a) "Applicant" shall mean any locality or private owner of a build- 6 ing, or buildings, with a potential need for mechanical insulation 7 building upgrades. 8 (b) "Locality" shall mean any political subdivision, as defined under 9 the general municipal law, or school district. 10 (c) "Mechanical insulation" shall mean insulation materials, facings 11 and accessory products used for thermal requirements for mechanical 12 piping and equipment, hot and cold applications, heating, ventilation, 13 and air-conditioning applications. 14 (d) "Qualified audit" shall mean a mechanical insulation audit of a 15 building by a qualified contractor, which identifies missing, damaged or 16 improperly installed mechanical insulation. Such audit shall include an 17 estimate of installation costs along with estimated energy and cost 18 savings. 19 (e) "Qualified mechanical insulation expenditures" shall mean the 20 purchase of insulation materials, facings and accessory products used 21 for thermal requirements for mechanical piping and equipment, hot and 22 cold applications, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning appli- 23 cations and all associated labor costs properly allocable to on-site 24 preparation, assembly and original installation, so long as performed by EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06367-02-5 
 A. 3999 2 1 a qualified contractor and in accordance with sections two hundred twen- 2 ty, two hundred twenty-b and two hundred twenty-i of the labor law. 3 (f) "Qualified contractor" shall mean an insulation contractor that is 4 party to an apprenticeship agreement, as defined in section eight 5 hundred sixteen of the labor law, which is in good standing, appropriate 6 for the type and scope of work to be performed, including the minimum 7 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engi- 8 neers Standard 90.1-2007, providing the energy standard for buildings 9 except low-rise residential buildings. 10 2. The authority shall establish an audit process whereby an applicant 11 may request a qualified audit. Such audit, if approved by the authority, 12 shall be provided to the applicant at no cost. 13 3. As part of this program, the authority shall issue grants for 14 applicants that have completed a qualified audit, which will cover one 15 hundred percent of the qualified mechanical insulation expenditures. 16 4. The total amount of funding available, in the aggregate, for this 17 program shall be twenty million dollars annually. 18 5. The authority shall establish rules and regulations to create the 19 mechanical insulation energy savings program and create guidelines for 20 preferred applicants, buildings and energy savings. 21 § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.