NY State Senate Bill S4198

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

Your Voice

Please enter your contact information

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

A valid email address is required.

Home address search or enter your address manually *

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.

Leave this field blank

Actions

view actions (9)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 07, 2023	ordered to third reading rules cal.625 substituted for a4243
Apr 25, 2023	referred to environmental conservation delivered to assembly passed senate
Apr 19, 2023	advanced to third reading
Apr 18, 2023	2nd report cal.
Apr 17, 2023	1st report cal.611
Feb 06, 2023	referred to environmental conservation

Votes

view votes

Apr 25, 2023 - floor Vote

S4198

floor

Aye

Nay

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Apr 17, 2023 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

S4198

committee

Aye

Nay

Aye with Reservations

Absent

Excused

Abstained

Co-Sponsors

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A4243
Law Section:: Transportation
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S8579, A10533

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "New York wildlife crossing act"; directs the department of transportation to identify sites along all highways, thruways and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity and create a priority list of wildlife opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified.

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S4198

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to enact  the "New York wildlife crossing act"; to direct the
department of transportation to identify sites along all highways, thru-
ways, and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed
to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity; and to
create a priority list of wildlife crossing opportunity areas where
federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects
identified

 
PURPOSE:

This bill intends to direct some portion of the FY23 federal funding
allocated for wildlife crossings to the state of New York for actionable
development of wildlife crossing infrastructure. Several states have
already emplaced wildlife crossings on vehicular highways, thruways, and
parkways. Absent such structures in New York State, this bill upon
passage will ensure such projects can initiate design and implementation
where necessary. Data shows design and construction of such structures
reduces wildlife collisions by greater than ninety percent.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 establishes the "New York Wildlife Crossing Act."

Section 2 defines "wildlife crossing."

Section 3 directs NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) to identify
road segments, which threaten interaction between vehicles and wildlife,
and finalize a top ten wildlife crossings priority list NLT two years
after the effective date of this act.

Section 4 directs DOT to identify feasibility factors, methodologies and
available federal grant funds the top five eligible projects.

Section 5 enables departments to consult all available information- this
would include that of state and national non-governmental organizations.

Section 6 directs DOT to update appropriate design guidance, including
the Highway Design Manual, by July 1, 2026 to incorporate design
concepts for wildlife passage features and related standard plans as
appropriate.

Section 7 establishes an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Roadkill and vehicular damage from collisions with wildlife is a serious
problem in motor transportation. Crossing deer and other large mammals
can create life-threatening hazards on roadways. In the United States
alone, there are more than a million automobile accidents per year
involving wildlife, racking up more than $8 billion in medical costs and
vehicle repairs annually.

According to some estimates, automobile collisions kill more than a
million animals every day, making them the leading cause of death for
many vertebrate species. Still worse is the way major roads and other
forms of development can subdivide animal populations and fragment their
habitats. Losing access to large areas of their living space makes it
much harder for many woodland creatures to forage for food, find mates
and carry on their genetic legacies.

As people have become more aware of these dangers, one strategy to miti-
gate them has gradually gained acceptance: human made highway crossings
designed just for animals. These can come in many forms, depending on
the species involved and the geographic features of the land. The most
common forms of wildlife crossing are bridges and overpasses, tunnels,
viaducts and culverts. Features of this kind are increasingly included
in highway planning and road improvement schemes. When successfully
implemented, they can greatly reduce the likelihood of collisions,
provide a safe corridor for animal transit and help reduce the ecologi-
cal impact of highways by reconnecting animal habitats.

The concept was first developed in France in the 1950s. It took off in
the Netherlands, where more than 600 crossings have been constructed to
protect badgers, elk and other mammals. The Dutch built the world's
longest animal crossing, the Natuurbrug Zanderij Crailoo, an overpass
that spans more than 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles), Wildlife crossings can
also be found in Australia, and other parts of the world. Banff, Alber-
ta, Canada witnessed the first successful wildlife crossing in the west-
ern hemisphere. Since then, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and
Wyoming all have constructed wildlife crossings of their own. Such
structures have greatly reduced roadkill, traffic fatalities and vehicu-
lar damage associated with MV/EV collisions with wildlife.

In the most recent federal fiscal year (FY23), several million dollars
were allocated to implement wildlife crossing structures throughout the
United States. This bill will allow state agencies and non-governmental
organizations to work in concert towards the goal of achieving the same
success found on this issue in the western United States and other
regions of the world.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S8579 Comrie/ A10533 Carroll-

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4198
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to enact  the "New York wildlife crossing  act";  to  direct  the
   department  of  transportation  to  identify sites along all highways,
   thruways, and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are  most
   needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity; and
   to create a priority list of wildlife crossing opportunity areas where
   federal  grant  monies  may  be  available  to  implement the top five
   projects identified
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title.  This act maybe known and cited as the "New
 York wildlife crossing act".
   § 2. For the purposes of this act:
   "Wildlife crossing" means  a  structure  designed  or  retrofitted  to
 enable  wildlife  to  successfully  cross  roads  and other human-caused
 barriers to wildlife movement.  Such crossings may include  but  not  be
 limited to culverts, bridges, wildlife underpass tunnels, wildlife over-
 pass bridges, and fencing associated with such structures.
   §  3.  The  department  of  transportation  is  hereby  authorized and
 directed to assess all highways, thruways, and parkways in the state for
 potential wildlife crossings to improve wildlife  habitat  connectivity,
 reduce  wildlife  vehicle collisions, and increase public safety for New
 York motorists. The department of transportation shall use the  findings
 of  their  assessment  to finalize a top ten wildlife crossings priority
 list no later than two years after the effective date of this  act.  The
 priority list of crossing sites shall be determined by the following:
   (a) (i) Identification of road segments that pose a risk to successful
 wildlife  movement  and habitat connectivity, or that pose a risk to the
 traveling public due to wildlife-vehicle collisions;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02060-03-3
 S. 4198                             2

 
   (ii) Any available or subsequently collected data, or  recommendations
 provided by the department of environmental conservation, the department
 of  transportation, and the department of motor vehicles on needed road-
 way mitigation measures to improve wildlife movement and habitat connec-
 tivity.
   (b) Identification of bridges and culverts that block or impede, espe-
 cially  road  segments that negatively affect wildlife habitat and move-
 ment;
   (c) Information about how increased movement of species could  benefit
 overused and highly impacted habitat areas;
   (d) Maps that identify locations of:
   (i) existing wildlife crossings; and
   (ii)  potential  sites for additional wildlife crossings based on this
 study;
   (e) Economic benefits anticipated from  preserving  wildlife  movement
 patterns,  including  the  potential  impact of reduced wildlife-vehicle
 collisions;
   (f) The feasibility and constructability of wildlife crossing  infras-
 tructure; and
   (g)  Any  additional  information that the department of environmental
 conservation deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the intent and
 purposes of this act.
   § 4. Two years after the effective date of this act, the department of
 transportation shall make public its identified list of  priority  wild-
 life  crossing opportunities. The priority opportunity list and accompa-
 nying information listed below shall be updated every five  years  after
 publication  of  the  initial  list.  The publicized list of the top ten
 priority wildlife crossing opportunities shall  be  accompanied  by  the
 following information:
   (a) Feasibility factors impacting construction for the top five of the
 top ten wildlife crossing opportunities, which should include any avail-
 able and helpful estimate costs, the availability and habitat quality of
 the  land  on  either  side  of  the  crossings, and any relevant public
 support for the crossings;
   (b) A description of any methodologies used  beyond  the  requirements
 listed  in  subdivisions  (a)  and  (b)  of section three of this act to
 create the top ten list; and
   (c) A list of available federal grant funds that the top five projects
 are eligible for.
   § 5. The department of transportation may consult with  any  state  or
 local  office,  agency,  or  department and request information from any
 such entity that is relevant and material  to  the  completion  of  this
 study and report.
   §  6.  The  department  of  transportation is hereby directed to addi-
 tionally update  appropriate  design  guidance,  including  the  Highway
 Design Manual, by July 1, 2026, to incorporate design concepts for wild-
 life  passage  features and related standard plans and specifications as
 appropriate.
   § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.

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.

The New York State Senate

senate Bill S4198

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Apr 25, 2023 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Apr 25, 2023

Apr 17, 2023 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: Apr 17, 2023

Co-Sponsors

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Details

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S4198

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Leroy Comrie

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Apr 25, 2023 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Apr 25, 2023

Apr 17, 2023 - Environmental Conservation committee Vote

Environmental Conservation Committee Vote: Apr 17, 2023

Co-Sponsors

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Rachel May

Luis R. Sepúlveda

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Details

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S4198 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments