NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7932

Senate Bill S7932

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Adds hazardous air quality to the state definition of a disaster and includes air quality emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management plans

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 20, 2024	advanced to third reading
Mar 19, 2024	2nd report cal.
Mar 18, 2024	1st report cal.670
Jan 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

Votes

- Mar 18, 2024 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote
  S7932
  
  9
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: Mar 18, 2024
      
      aye (9)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Brouk
      
      Harckham
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Serrano
      
      Stec
      
      Weik

2023-S7932 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§20 & 23, Exec L

2023-S7932 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Adds hazardous air quality to the state definition of a disaster; requires explicit inclusion of air quality emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management plans with an action plan and annual inventory of air quality emergency resources.

2023-S7932 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7932

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to adding hazardous air
quality to the state definition of a disaster and including air quality
emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management plans

 
PURPOSE:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to adding hazardous air
quality to the state definition of a disaster and including air quality
emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management
plans.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 20 of the exec-
utive law to add hazardous air quality to the definition of disaster.

Section 2 amends section 23 of the executive law to require munici-

palities to create an action plan in the case of an air quality emergen-
cy, and to annually create an inventory of air quality emergency
resources.

Section 3 states the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC)
hazardous air quality can cause trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and a
fast heartbeat. Those with conditions such as COPD, heart disease, and
asthma are particularly vulnerable.' In 2023, various regions throughout
New York State experienced 18 days of unhealthy air quality to very
unhealthy air quality.' As wildfires become more common due the effects
of climate change3, it is imperative that our communities are equipped
to deal with hazardous air quality.

Adding hazardous air quality to the state definition of a disaster will
ensure our state and local governments have plans in place to protect
residents from the harmful effects of hazardous air quality.  The people
of New York deserve to be prepared against the dangers of the climate
crisis as we work to ensure further protections for our environment.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
1 https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/smoke.html
2 https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-quality-index-report
3 https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/ climate-change-indicators-
wildfires

2023-S7932 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7932
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 3, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to adding  hazardous  air
   quality to the state definition of a disaster and including air quali-
   ty  emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management
   plans

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 20 of the executive
 law, as amended by chapter 23 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as
 follows:
   a. "disaster" means occurrence or imminent, impending or urgent threat
 of  wide  spread  or  severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property
 resulting from any natural or man-made causes, including, but not limit-
 ed to, fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado,  high  water,  land-
 slide,  mudslide, wind, storm, wave action, volcanic activity, epidemic,
 disease outbreak, air contamination, HAZARDOUS AIR  QUALITY,  terrorism,
 cyber event, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, radiological acci-
 dent,  nuclear,  chemical, biological, or bacteriological release, water
 contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse.
   § 2. Section 23 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 8 to read as follows:
   8. SUCH PLANS SHALL ADDITIONALLY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED  TO,  THE
 FOLLOWING REGARDING AIR QUALITY EMERGENCIES:
   A.  AN  ACTION PLAN FOR THE MUNICIPALITY IN THE CASE OF AN AIR QUALITY
 EMERGENCY; AND
   B. AN ANNUAL INVENTORY OF THE  MUNICIPALITY'S  AIR  QUALITY  EMERGENCY
 RESOURCES.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13098-01-3

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.