Assembly Bill A10673

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  10673

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 12, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Lifton) --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

AN ACT authorizing a study on implementing a greenhouse  gas  or  carbon
  emissions fee or tax

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. 1. The New  York  state  energy  research  and  development
authority   (NYSERDA)  is  hereby  directed  to  prepare  a  report  for
submission to the environmental conservation committees  of  the  Senate
and  Assembly  related  to  implementing  a  statewide greenhouse gas or
carbon emission fee or tax (hereinafter a carbon fee or tax) related  to
assisting the state in reducing or eliminating such greenhouse gases.
  The report shall:
  (a)  analyze the current and future environmental impact of greenhouse
emissions, including carbon and methane, and the dangers posed to  resi-
dents for climate change;
  (b)  analyze  the  potential environmental and policy benefits derived
from a carbon tax;
  (c) identify an effective structure for a carbon fee or tax to  gener-
ate revenue;
  (d)  evaluate the direct and indirect impact of a carbon fee or tax on
low-income households, consumers, industries and localities;
  (e) evaluate the direct and indirect regional and statewide impact  of
a carbon fee or tax;
  (f)  evaluate whether the level of greenhouse gas emissions reductions
might vary based on different rates of a carbon fee  or  tax,  including
determining  the  minimum  level  of  such fee or tax needed to ensure a
significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions;
  (g) evaluate how to treat imported and exported energy sources under a
carbon fee or tax;
  (h) evaluate the impact of a carbon fee or tax on jobs and wages;
  (i) evaluate the impact of a carbon fee or tax on existing fees, state
revenue and state income taxes, including the  regional  greenhouse  gas
initiative;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD11872-01-5

A. 10673                            2

  (j)  evaluate the per unit costs of specific types of fuels that would
be subject to a carbon fee or tax; and
  (k)  evaluate revenue allocation options, including assisting in fund-
ing a transition to clean renewable energy, maximizing positive  impacts
and mitigating detrimental or unequal impacts on low and moderate income
households,  improving mass transit, implementing climate change adapta-
tion measures such as making improvements in infrastructure,  implement-
ing agricultural adaptation measures, increasing protection of low-lying
areas  including  coastlines, and enhancing emergency health response to
extreme weather events.
  2. NYSERDA shall submit a written  preliminary  report  to  the  state
legislature related to revenue and the environment on or before December
1,  2016,  and  a  final  report on or before March 1, 2017. NYSERDA may
contract with third parties as necessary to prepare the reports and  any
related recommendations.
  3.  NYSERDA  shall  provide  for  public input in the study, including
holding at  least  two  public  hearings  before  the  final  report  is
released.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.