S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8121
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
August 26, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SWEENEY, WEISENBERG, COLTON, LIFTON, SCHIMEL,
THIELE, ABINANTI, FAHY, OTIS, LAVINE, PAULIN, STIRPE, BARRETT, BRAUN-
STEIN, MAYER, SEPULVEDA, McDONALD -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
GLICK, LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environ-
mental Conservation
AN ACT authorizing the creation of a state debt to the amount of five
billion dollars, in relation to creating the clean water/clean
air/green jobs bond act of 2014, to provide moneys for the preserva-
tion, enhancement, restoration, and improvement of the state's envi-
ronment, to provide for state assistance payments for such purpose,
and providing for the submission to the people of a proposition or
question therefor to be voted upon at the general election in November
2014
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The clean water/clean air/green jobs bond act of 2014 is
enacted to read as follows:
CLEAN WATER/CLEAN AIR/GREEN JOBS BOND ACT OF 2014
Section 1. Short title.
2. Creation of a state debt.
3. Bonds of the state.
4. Use of moneys received.
S 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"clean water/clean air/green jobs bond act of 2014".
S 2. Creation of a state debt. The creation of a state debt to an
amount not exceeding in the aggregate five billion dollars
($5,000,000,000) is hereby authorized to provide moneys for the single
purpose of preserving, enhancing, restoring, and improving the quality
of the state's environment by the accomplishment of projects and the
funding of activities by state agencies, public authorities and public
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11639-01-3
A. 8121 2
benefit corporations, municipalities, and other governmental entities
and not-for-profit corporations for and related to protecting, improv-
ing, and enhancing the quality of drinking water and enhancement of
water bodies; by providing funds for open space, farmland protection,
habitat restoration, climate change adaptation, water quality related
research and development and for parks; for repairing, replacing and
updating municipal wastewater and drinking water infrastructure; for
preserving, enhancing, restoring and maintaining the quality of the air;
for restoring and improving contaminated areas and returning those to
productive use; for improving environmental health; for protection and
pollution prevention projects in urban communities, community gardens
and greenways.
The legislature may, by appropriate legislation and subject to such
conditions as it may impose, make available out of the proceeds of the
sale of bonds authorized in this section, moneys disbursed or to be
disbursed for state programs or state assistance payments toward the
cost of such programs undertaken by or through a state or local public
authority or public benefit corporation, not-for-profit corporation,
county, city, town, village, school district, supervisory district,
district corporation, improvement district within a county, city, town,
village, or Indian tribe residing in whole or in part within New York
state, or any combination thereof, for the purpose of preserving,
enhancing, restoring, and improving the quality of the state's environ-
ment and natural resources.
S 3. Bonds of the state. The state comptroller is hereby authorized
and empowered to issue and sell bonds of the state to the amount of five
billion dollars ($5,000,000,000) for the purpose of this act, subject to
the provisions of article 5 of the state finance law. The aggregate
principal amount of such bonds shall not exceed five billion dollars
excluding bonds issued to refund or otherwise repay bonds theretofore
issued for such purpose; provided, however, that upon any such refunding
or repayment the total aggregate principal amount of outstanding bonds
may be greater than five billion dollars only if the present value of
the aggregate debt service of the refunding or repayment bonds to be
issued shall not exceed the present value of the aggregate debt service
of the bonds to be refunded or repaid. The method for calculating pres-
ent value shall be determined by law.
S 4. Use of moneys received. The moneys received by the state from the
sale of bonds sold pursuant to this act shall be expended pursuant to
appropriations in the following amount:
a. For clean water through the protection of the state's watersheds
and natural resources; drinking water supply protection and flood
control projects, including the protection of open space, farmland
protection, habitat restoration, flood prevention, climate change adap-
tation, water quality related research and development, water quality
restoration projects and for state and municipal parks, two billion
dollars ($2,000,000,000).
b. For clean water infrastructure including repairing, replacing, and
updating New York's municipal wastewater infrastructure, septic systems
and drinking water supply systems, two billion dollars ($2,000,000,000).
c. For improving air quality, environmental health and community
restoration, including the use of green infrastructure, protection and
pollution prevention projects in urban communities, restoring and
improving contaminated areas and returning those to productive use,
improving environmental health, community gardens and greenways, one
billion dollars ($1,000,000,000).
A. 8121 3
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the
provisions of section one of this act shall not take effect unless and
until this act shall have been submitted to the people at the general
election to be held in November 2014, and shall have been approved by a
majority of all votes cast for and against it at such election. Upon
approval by the people, section one of this act shall take effect imme-
diately. The ballots to be furnished for the use of voters upon
submission of this act shall be in the form prescribed by the election
law and the proposition or question to be submitted shall be printed
thereon in substantially the following form, namely, "Shall chapter
(here insert the number of the chapter) of the laws of 2014 known as the
clean water/clean air/green jobs bond act of 2014, authorizing the
creation of state debt to provide moneys for the preservation, enhance-
ment, restoration, and improvement of the quality of the state's envi-
ronment and natural resources, promote energy efficiency and energy
security; and invest in the creation of clean and green jobs in the
amount of five billion dollars be approved?".