Assembly Bill A11015

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11015
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 20, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BURDICK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
   establishing state composting programs
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
 by adding a new title 34 to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 34
                         STATE COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
 SECTION 27-3401. STATE COMPOSTING PROGRAMS.
 § 27-3401. STATE COMPOSTING PROGRAMS.
   1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "AGENCY"  MEANS  ANY  DEPARTMENT,  AGENCY,  BOARD, PUBLIC BENEFIT
 CORPORATION, PUBLIC AUTHORITY, OR COMMISSION; AND
   (B) "COMPOSTABLE" MEANS ALL THE MATERIALS  IN  THE  PRODUCT  WILL  (I)
 UNDERGO  DEGRADATION  BY BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES DURING COMPOSTING TO YIELD
 CARBON DIOXIDE, WATER,  INORGANIC  COMPOUNDS,  AND  BIOMASS  AT  A  RATE
 CONSISTENT  WITH  OTHER  KNOWN  COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS; AND (II) LEAVE NO
 VISIBLE, DISTINGUISHABLE OR TOXIC RESIDUE, INCLUDING NO  ADVERSE  IMPACT
 ON  THE  ABILITY  OF  COMPOSTS TO SUPPORT PLANT GROWTH ONCE THE FINISHED
 COMPOST IS PLACED IN SOIL.
   2. BEGINNING ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SECTION,  ALL
 STATE  AGENCIES SHALL ESTABLISH A COMPOSTING PROGRAM IN BUILDINGS OWNED,
 OCCUPIED OR OPERATED BY SUCH AGENCIES THAT SHALL, AT A MINIMUM:
   (A) REQUIRE THAT ALL COMPOSTABLE WASTE INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO
 FOOD  SCRAPS, PLANT TRIMMINGS, FOOD-SOILED PAPER AND CERTIFIED COMPOSTA-
 BLE PRODUCTS FROM GARBAGE AND OTHER RECYCLABLES BE SEPARATED AND  PLACED
 IN LABELED CONTAINERS;
   (B) POST AND MAINTAIN SIGNS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON IDENTIFYING AND SEPA-
 RATING COMPOSTABLE WASTE FROM GARBAGE AND RECYCLABLES;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04338-02-5
 A. 11015                            2
              

 
   (C)  ENSURE  AGENCY EMPLOYEES PLACE COMPOSTABLE WASTE IN APPROPRIATELY
 LABELED CONTAINERS AND DO NOT MIX SUCH WASTE WITH  GARBAGE  OR  RECYCLA-
 BLES;
   (D)  ENSURE  CONTAINERS ARE LATCHED AT THE TIME OF STORAGE OR SET-OUT;
 AND
   (E) ARRANGE FOR COMPOSTABLE WASTE TO BE TRANSPORTED  AND/OR  PROCESSED
 SEPARATELY FROM GARBAGE AND RECYCLING.
   3.  EACH  STATE AGENCY MAY ARRANGE FOR COLLECTION OF COMPOSTABLE WASTE
 BY A PRIVATE CARTER, TRANSPORT SUCH WASTE ITSELF OR PROCESS  SUCH  WASTE
 ON-SITE.
   4.  BEGINNING ONE YEAR AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PROGRAM PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, EACH  STATE
 AGENCY  SHALL  REPORT  TO THE DEPARTMENT ON SUCH PROGRAM, INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO (I) THE AMOUNT OF COMPOSTABLE WASTE COLLECTED;  AND  (II)
 THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH PROGRAM.
   5.  BY DECEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFT-
 ER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL POST A REPORT ON ITS WEBSITE  DETAILING  AGENCY
 COMPOSTING  PROGRAMS  IN  THE STATE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE AN EVALU-
 ATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH COMPOSTING PROGRAMS, AND  INFORMATION
 ON COSTS AND COLLECTION RATES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.