S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6348
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. VALDEZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to establishing the
   university of the  state  of  New  York  environmental  sustainability
   office
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  235-c
 to read as follows:
   §  235-C.  ENVIRONMENTAL  SUSTAINABILITY  OFFICE. 1. THE REGENTS SHALL
 ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE WITHIN  THE  UNIVERSITY
 OF  THE  STATE OF NEW YORK TO LEAD THE COORDINATION, PLANNING AND IMPLE-
 MENTATION OF POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROCESSES TO FULFILL THE  UNIVERSI-
 TY'S  SUSTAINABILITY  OBLIGATIONS  AND  TARGETS  COHESIVELY,  ACROSS ALL
 UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, AND AT THE SYSTEM LEVEL. SUSTAINABILITY OBLIGATIONS
 INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, REDUCTION IN ENERGY USE, PREVENTION  OF
 WASTE  AND  ACHIEVING  MATERIAL CIRCULARITY, CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION,
 SOCIAL EQUITY  AND  JUSTICE,  AND  ENGAGEMENT  AND  OUTREACH  STRATEGIES
 INCLUDED WITHIN THESE AND OTHER SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS.
   2.  THE  HEAD  OF  THE  OFFICE  SHALL BE THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL
 SUSTAINABILITY WHO SHALL BE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  REGENTS  AND  HAVE  THE
 FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES:
   A.  LEAD  INSTITUTIONAL  PLANNING TO FULFILL UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY
 COMMITMENTS AND  REPRESENT  THE  UNIVERSITY'S  SUSTAINABILITY  GOALS  IN
 SYSTEM-WIDE AND CAMPUS LEVEL PLANNING.
   B.  SET  CONSISTENT  SUSTAINABILITY  STANDARDS,  ACROSS A MULTITUDE OF
 RELATED FOCUS AREAS, SYSTEM-WIDE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  SYSTEM
 AND  CAMPUS  LEVEL  CLEAN ENERGY MASTER PLANS AND ZERO WASTE CIRCULARITY
 PLANS.
   C. LEVERAGE EXPERTISE AVAILABLE ACROSS UNIVERSITY  CAMPUSES  TO  PILOT
 AND ELEVATE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND RESEARCH.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07846-01-5
              

 A. 6348                             2
 
   D.  CLOSELY  COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS STATE
 AGENCIES TO ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ALIGNMENT  AND  FEASIBIL-
 ITY.
   E.  SERVE  ON STATE AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES INVOLVED IN CREATING POLI-
 CIES AND MAKING DECISIONS CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY.
   F.  FURTHER  THE  UNIVERSITY'S  INVESTMENT  IN  SUSTAINABILITY  ACROSS
 CAMPUSES SO AS TO MAXIMIZE ITS RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WHILE ACHIEVING THE
 UNIVERSITY'S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS.
   G.  DEVELOP  METHODS  AND PROCESSES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOP
 AND EVALUATE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY.
   H. ASSIST THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES, AND  OTHER  RELEVANT  STAKE-
 HOLDERS,  IN  PROCUREMENT  OF  COMMODITIES AND SERVICES THAT ADVANCE THE
 UNIVERSITY'S MISSION, WHILE ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS,  AND  ENSURE
 THAT  SUSTAINABILITY  IS  A KEY COMPONENT IN THE PROCUREMENT OF SERVICES
 AND PRODUCTS.
   I. DIRECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE BY SETTING  PERFORM-
 ANCE  GOALS  PRIORITIZING  RESPONSIBILITIES,  DEVELOPING WORK PROCESSES,
 SUPERVISING STAFF, CREATING A REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES, AND MANAGING  THE
 BUDGET OF THE OFFICE.
   J.  PROVIDE  EXPERTISE TO CAMPUSES IN NEED OF DIRECTION AND SUPPORT IN
 PURSUING  SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED  PROJECTS  AND  PROGRAMS,  AND  DELIVER
 OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND TRAINING TO CAMPUSES.
   K. GUIDE SUSTAINABILITY MEASUREMENT AND DATA ANALYSIS AT THE UNIVERSI-
 TY  SYSTEM  AND  CAMPUS  LEVELS.  THE DIRECTOR SHALL LEAD SUSTAINABILITY
 PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND ADVISE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE INDI-
 CATORS ON SYSTEM-WIDE AND ON CAMPUSES TO MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS.
   L. ORIGINATE INNOVATIVE FISCAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS AND EVALU-
 ATE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM,  AND
 SEEK  EXTERNAL FUNDING AND RESOURCES THROUGH ADVANCEMENT, GRANT WRITING,
 AND PARTNERSHIPS.
   M.  DEVELOP  PROCESSES  FOR  CAMPUS  SUSTAINABILITY  FUNDS,  INCLUDING
 PROJECT  FEASIBILITY, BUDGETING, AND MONITORING PROGRESS, AND MANAGE THE
 FISCAL SOLVENCY OF SUCH SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS.
   N. OVERSEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION  IN  SUSTAINABILITY
 INITIATIVES  THROUGH  INTERNSHIPS  AND  VOLUNTEER  SERVICE,  AND FURTHER
 CURRICULAR INNOVATION AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS.
   O. COOPERATE WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES, STATE AND  LOCAL  AGENCIES,  AND
 NONPROFITS  THAT ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY,
 AND INTERNATIONALLY TO FURTHER THE UNIVERSITY'S LEADERSHIP  AND  ADVANCE
 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY EXTERNALLY.
   P. PERFORM OTHER RELATED DUTIES AND SPECIAL PROJECTS.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.