Assembly Bill A2379

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2379
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. EPSTEIN, KELLES, RAGA, CUNNINGHAM, LEVENBERG,
   GIBBS, REYES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once  and
   referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
   establishing state and municipal 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 AND MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
 SECTION 27-3401. STATE AND MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING PROGRAMS.
 § 27-3401. STATE AND MUNICIPAL 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;
   (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; AND
   (C) "MUNICIPAL" MEANS A VILLAGE, TOWN, CITY, OR COUNTY.
   2.  BEGINNING  ONE  YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, ALL
 STATE AND MUNICIPAL 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-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04338-01-5
              

 A. 2379                             2
 
 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;
   (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  AND  MUNICIPAL  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
 AND  MUNICIPAL  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-SEVEN, AND ANNUALLY THERE-
 AFTER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL POST A REPORT ON ITS WEBSITE DETAILING AGEN-
 CY 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.