S 3658: Enacts the feathered lives also count act directing the commissioner of general services to incorporate practices and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with certain state-owned or state-leased buildings, and for other purposes; requires the commissioner to develop a design guide that includes features, methods and strategies, and best practices for reducing bird fatalities; requires the commissioner to report to the governor and the legislature.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3658 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 29, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN-SIGAL, HELMING, KRUEGER, MARTINEZ, MARTINS, MAYER, PALUMBO, RHOADS, SALAZAR, SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to directing the commissioner of general services to incorporate practices and strate- gies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with certain state-owned buildings, and for other purposes The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "feathered 2 lives also count act". 3 § 2. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 148 4 to read as follows: 5 § 148. Use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies in state- 6 owned buildings. 1. As used in this section: 7 (a) "state agency" means any state department, office, board, bureau, 8 commission, agency, or any public authority or public benefit corpo- 9 ration at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor; 10 (b) "state-owned building" means any building owned by a state agency 11 used for official state business; and 12 (c) "state-leased building" means any building or portion of any 13 building leased by a state agency for office, departmental, or residen- 14 tial occupancy. 15 2. The commissioner of general services shall incorporate features, 16 practices, and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from colli- 17 sions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased 18 buildings. Such features, practices and strategies shall be incorpo- 19 rated for each building: 20 (a) constructed; 21 (b) acquired; or EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00085-01-5 
 S. 3658 2 1 (c) of which more than fifty percent of the facade is substantially 2 altered, as determined by the commissioner. 3 3. The commissioner, in consultation with the department of environ- 4 mental conservation, shall develop a design guide to carry out the 5 provisions of subdivision two of this section that includes the follow- 6 ing: 7 (a) features for reducing bird fatality resulting from collisions with 8 state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings, 9 throughout all construction phases, taking into account the number of 10 each such bird fatality that occurs at different types of state-owned 11 buildings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings; 12 (b) methods and strategies for reducing bird fatality resulting from 13 collisions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state- 14 leased buildings, during the operation and maintenance of such build- 15 ings; 16 (c) best practices for reducing bird fatality resulting from colli- 17 sions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, state-leased 18 buildings, including but not limited to: 19 (i) eliminating non-essential lighting during spring and fall 20 migration; 21 (ii) use of bird-safe film or other after-market products designed to 22 reduce bird collisions; 23 (iii) architectural or design elements that reduce the risk of colli- 24 sions; 25 (iv) use of bird-friendly glass in new construction or renovations 26 that require substantial alterations; and 27 (v) placement of landscaping features and green roofs; and 28 (d) information on how to participate in citizen science efforts that 29 document bird collisions in New York state. 30 4. To carry out the provisions of paragraph (c) of subdivision three 31 of this section, the commissioner shall identify best practices for 32 reducing bird fatality resulting from collisions with state-owned build- 33 ings and, where practicable, state-leased buildings, including best 34 practices recommended by: 35 (a) state, federal, and municipal agencies with expertise in bird 36 conservation; 37 (b) nongovernmental organizations with expertise in bird conservation; 38 and 39 (c) representatives of green building certification systems. 40 5. The commissioner shall disseminate the design guide developed 41 pursuant to subdivision three of this section to all state agencies with 42 independent leasing authority from the commissioner. 43 6. The commissioner shall, every five years, update the design guide 44 developed pursuant to subdivision three of this section with respect to 45 the priorities of the commissioner for reducing bird fatality resulting 46 from collisions with state-owned buildings and, where practicable, 47 state-leased buildings. 48 7. This section shall not apply to any building or site listed, or 49 eligible for listing, on the National Register of Historic Places. 50 8. Not later than October first of each fiscal year, the commissioner 51 shall certify to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, 52 and the speaker of the assembly that the commissioner uses the design 53 guide developed pursuant to subdivision three of this section for build- 54 ings described in subdivision two of this section. 55 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.