S 2242: Establishes the task force on battery storage facility fire safety to collaborate with local governments, firefighters, and industry experts to develop new safety standards and best practices to protect neighborhoods, forests, and agricultural land in the state from dangerous battery storage facility fires.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2242 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MATTERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT establishing the task force on battery storage facility fire safety; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira- tion thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. There is hereby established the task force on battery stor- 2 age facility fire safety. The purpose of the task force is to collab- 3 orate with local governments, firefighters, and industry experts to 4 develop new safety standards and best practices to protect neighbor- 5 hoods, forests, and agricultural land in the state from dangerous 6 battery storage facility fires. 7 § 2. The task force shall consist of nine members as follows: 8 (a) The president of the New York state energy research and develop- 9 ment authority, or their designee; 10 (b) One member to be appointed by the governor; 11 (c) One member to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 12 (d) One member to be appointed by the assembly minority leader; 13 (e) One member to be appointed by the temporary president of the 14 senate; 15 (f) One member to be appointed by the senate minority leader; 16 (g) One member to be appointed by the largest trade association 17 representing battery storage operators in New York; 18 (h) One member to be appointed by the largest trade labor association 19 representing electrical workers in New York; and 20 (i) One member to be appointed by the largest trade labor association 21 representing firefighters in New York. 22 § 3. The president of the New York state energy research and develop- 23 ment authority, or their designee, shall be designated as the chair- 24 person of the task force. The members of the task force shall serve EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03720-01-5 
 S. 2242 2 1 without compensation, except that members shall be allowed their neces- 2 sary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties 3 under this act. 4 § 4. The task force shall be authorized to hold public hearings, and 5 to consult with any organization, educational institution, or other 6 government entity or person, to enable it to accomplish its duties. The 7 task force shall hold at least one public hearing in the state for the 8 purpose of soliciting public comment on battery storage facility fire 9 safety. 10 § 5. To effectuate the purposes of this act, the task force may 11 request and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, 12 commission, or other agency of the state or any state public authority 13 such assistance, information, and data as will enable the task force to 14 properly carry out its powers and duties hereunder. 15 § 6. The task force shall develop best practices for fire safety, 16 including but not limited to fire prevention, fire containment, and 17 limiting the spread of toxic smoke, in battery storage facilities and in 18 surrounding areas around where the facility is located. 19 § 7. The task force shall issue a report of its findings and legisla- 20 tive recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the 21 assembly minority leader, the temporary president of the senate, the 22 senate minority leader, the largest advocacy group representing county 23 governments in New York, and the largest advocacy group representing 24 mayors in New York no later than one year after the effective date of 25 this act. 26 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 27 deemed repealed two years after such date.