S 1532: Establishes a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan for cities with a population of one million or more to be implemented by the department of environmental conservation; requires a sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report to be submitted.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1532 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a 2 new section 3-0320 to read as follows: 3 § 3-0320. Sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan; cities with a 4 population of one million or more. 5 1. The department, in consultation with the New York city emergency 6 management department, shall: 7 (a) establish a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan for 8 cities with a population of one million or more, to identify land and 9 existing and planned facilities, including critical infrastructure, that 10 have been affected by or are vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding 11 impacts, and natural hazards. The department shall utilize information, 12 projections and map data from the most recent update of the sea level 13 rise vulnerability and adaptation report, the New York city mayor's 14 office of resiliency's climate resilience master plan and any other 15 agency report with pertinent related data, and any other pertinent data 16 and scientific reports the department deems necessary; 17 (b) assess a range of options, including environmental, social, and 18 economic factors, for mitigating impacts of sea level rise; 19 (c) submit an annual sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation 20 report to the governor, the mayor of the city of New York, and the 21 department of state no later than ninety days after the completion of 22 such report; and 23 (d) thirty days after the submission of such report required pursuant 24 to paragraph (c) of this subdivision, conduct public hearings for public EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04481-01-5 
 S. 1532 2 1 comment in five different counties within cities with a population of 2 one million or more. 3 2. (a) One hundred eighty days following the submission of the sea 4 level rise vulnerability and adaptation report, the department shall be 5 authorized to implement and administer climate adaptation and mitigation 6 projects. Such projects shall include: 7 (i) the construction of natural resiliency measures and the conserva- 8 tion or restoration of riparian areas and tidal marsh migration areas; 9 (ii) nature-based solutions such as wetland protections to address 10 physical climate risk due to sea level rise, storm surges and/or flood- 11 ing, based on available data predicting the likelihood of future extreme 12 weather events, including hazard risk analysis data if applicable; 13 (iii) relocation or retrofitting of facilities to address physical 14 climate risk due to sea level rise, storm surges and/or flooding based 15 on available data predicting the likelihood of future extreme weather 16 events, including hazard risk analysis data if applicable; and 17 (iv) flood risk reduction. 18 (b) With respect to such climate adaptation and mitigation projects 19 authorized pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the department 20 shall: 21 (i) provide state and regional information to the public and provide 22 support to local, regional, and other state agencies for the identifica- 23 tion, assessment, planning, and, where feasible, the mitigation of 24 adverse environmental, social, and economic effects of sea level rise in 25 cities with a population of one million or more; 26 (ii) to the fullest extent practicable, prioritize climate adaptation 27 and mitigation projects which: 28 (1) actively benefit disadvantaged communities as defined by the 29 climate justice working group; 30 (2) minimize harm to wildlife, ecosystems, public health, and public 31 safety; 32 (3) do not violate indigenous rights or sovereignty; and 33 (4) are the most cost-effective to the state and city according to the 34 best available cost modeling research; 35 (iii) construct sea level rise mitigation projects in consultation 36 with affected labor unions and community organizations through the New 37 York state energy research and development authority's regional clean 38 energy hubs; 39 (iv) establish criteria to evaluate whether state or city funds may be 40 used to mitigate hazards associated with sea level rise inundation and 41 coastal flooding; and 42 (v) coordinate with other state planning and coastal management agen- 43 cies, including, but not limited to, the department of state and the 44 department of public service to administer grants and provide informa- 45 tion and support to local, regional, and other state agencies consistent 46 with statutory authority. 47 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.