S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10235
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 26, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. CRESPO, SEPULVEDA, PICHARDO, RODRIGUEZ, RAMOS --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to establish a commission to be known  as  the  "New  York  State
   Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. There is hereby established a temporary  commission  to  be
 known  as  the  "New  York  State  Temporary Commission on the Threat of
 Rising Oceans", hereinafter referred to in this act as the "commission".
   § 2. 1. The commission shall:
   (a) be composed of 17 members appointed in accordance with subdivision
 two of this section; and
   (b) conduct its business in accordance with  the  provisions  of  this
 section.
   2.  The  members  shall be appointed for the life of the commission as
 follows:
   (a) 3 shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (b) 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
   (c) 3 shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly of  which  one
 shall be a representative of the Mayor of New York City;
   (d) 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
   (e) 9 shall be appointed by the governor.
   3.  The  members of the commission shall be individuals who have know-
 ledge or expertise, whether by experience or training, in matters to  be
 studied  by  the commission under subdivision seven of this section. The
 members may be from the public sector, who may include  federal,  state,
 or local officers or employees, members of academia, nonprofit organiza-
 tions,  or  other  interested  individuals  or  the  private sector. The
 members shall include at least 5 representatives from the  city  of  New
 York.
   4.  The  temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the
 senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly
 and the governor shall make his or her respective appointments not later
 than 30 days after the effective date of  this  act.  Any  vacancy  that

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15041-01-8

 A. 10235                            2
 
 occurs  during the life of the commission shall not affect the powers of
 the commission and shall be filled in the same manner  as  the  original
 appointment not later than 30 days after the vacancy occurs.
   5.  The initial meeting of the commission shall be conducted not later
 than 30 days after the appointment of the last member of the commission.
 The first act of the commission shall be to select by consensus a chair-
 person.
   6. A majority of the members shall  constitute  a  quorum  to  conduct
 business,  but the commission may establish a lesser quorum for conduct-
 ing hearings scheduled by the commission. Each member shall have 1  vote
 and  the  vote  of  each  member  shall be accorded the same weight. The
 commission may establish, by majority vote,  any  other  rules  for  the
 conduct  of  the  commission's  business,  insofar as such rules are not
 inconsistent with this section or other applicable law.
   7. The commission shall conduct a comprehensive study on the threat of
 rising ocean levels.
   (a) The matters studied by the commission under this subdivision shall
 include, but not be limited to:
   (1) the threat  of  rising  oceans  on  shoreline  communities,  their
 infrastructure, and residents;
   (2)  options  available  to protect New York City and Long Island from
 rising oceans and provide a cost estimate for such options;
   (3) options available to protect New York Harbor from  rising  oceans,
 including,  but not limited to, the building of a sea wall and its asso-
 ciated costs;
   (4) international infrastructure in place  to  protect  other  regions
 from  rising  oceans and provide a comparative description of what other
 nations have done to address that threat in those regions  and  at  what
 costs;
   (5) a review of the federal flood insurance program and provide recom-
 mendations  on how New York State can supplement the program or create a
 state flood insurance program to address the looming threat of damage to
 waterfront communities;
   (6) a review of the current flood zone designations of  shoreline  and
 waterfront communities and recommend changes to such designations; and
   (7)  a  potential  public  awareness  campaign  and associated funding
 requirement for such outreach to inform residents of  impacted  communi-
 ties  and  those  in projected flood zones on how to prepare for pending
 damage by rising oceans.
   (b) Not later than March 1, 2019, the commission shall submit  to  the
 governor,  the  senate,  and  the assembly a comprehensive report on the
 commission's findings and conclusions. Such report  shall  address  each
 matter studied by the commission.
   8. The commission shall have the power to hold hearings, at such sites
 and  to  act  at  such  times and places, to take such testimony, and to
 receive such evidence as the commission considers advisable to  carrying
 out its duties under this subdivision.
   9.  The  members  of  the  commission  shall  not be given any form of
 compensation and shall be allowed no travel  expenses  while  away  from
 their  homes or regular places of business in the performance of service
 for the commission.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.