Assembly Bill A6618

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6618
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. KELLES, SIMON -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law,  the  education  law
   and the highway law, in relation to enacting the "pollinator promotion
   act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "pollinator promotion act".
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 3-0301 of the environmental conservation
 law  is  amended  by  adding  two  new  paragraphs jj and jjj to read as
 follows:
   JJ. PROMOTE THE HEALTH AND VIABILITY OF POLLINATORS IN  THE  STATE  BY
 SUPPORTING HABITAT PROTECTION, PROMOTING THE STATE'S NATIVE POLLINATORS,
 AND INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATORS.
   JJJ.  ENSURE  THAT  ON  ANY LANDS OWNED AND ACTIVELY MAINTAINED BY THE
 STATE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STATE PARKS, TIDAL  WETLANDS  AREAS,
 STATE  FORESTS,  HISTORIC  PARK PRESERVES, UNIQUE AREAS, WATERWAY ACCESS
 SITES, HISTORIC PARKS, WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT  AREAS,  GOLF  COURSES,  BOAT
 LAUNCH  SITES,  CAMPGROUNDS, PRIMITIVE AREAS, WILD FORESTS, THE AGENCIES
 IN CHARGE OF  SUCH  MAINTENANCE  SHALL  INCORPORATE  POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY
 LANDSCAPING  PRACTICES  APPROPRIATE  TO  SUCH  LANDS,  INCLUDING BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO CREATING OR REESTABLISHING POLLINATOR  FRIENDLY  HABITATS  BY
 INCREASING  THE  ABUNDANCE OF NATIVE PLANTS ON SUCH LANDS, ADJUSTING AND
 REDUCING MOWING PRACTICES AND THE USE OF PESTICIDES  IN  FAVOR  OF  NON-
 CHEMICAL  PEST  MANAGEMENT  METHODS,  AND ADDING SIGNAGE TO PUBLIC LANDS
 EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE USE OF  SUCH  POLLINATOR  FRIENDLY  PRAC-
 TICES;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY
 LANDS WHERE SUCH PRACTICES ARE DEEMED IMPRACTICAL BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OR
 OTHER  APPROPRIATE  AGENCY,  THAT HAVE A DEDICATED USE INCOMPATIBLE WITH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00104-02-5
 A. 6618                             2
              

 
 THIS PARAGRAPH, OR THAT ARE OTHERWISE PROTECTED FROM ACTIVE  MAINTENANCE
 BY LEGAL AGREEMENT OR THE STATE CONSTITUTION;
   §  3.  Paragraphs  h  and i of subdivision 1 of section 54-1523 of the
 environmental conservation law, as amended by section 1 of part  KKK  of
 chapter  58  of  the  laws of 2022, are amended and a new paragraph j is
 added to read as follows:
   h. to  establish  and  implement  easily-replicated  renewable  energy
 projects, including solar arrays, heat pumps and wind turbines in public
 low-income housing in suburban, urban and rural areas; [and]
   i. land acquisition, including but not limited to flood mitigation and
 coastal  riparian  resiliency;  provided,  however,  no  monies shall be
 expended for acquisition by eminent domain[.]; AND
   J. CLIMATE-RESILIENT LANDSCAPING AND LAND MAINTENANCE AND LAND MAINTE-
 NANCE SUCH AS CONNECTING GREEN SPACES, USE OF NATIVE SPECIES, AND POLLI-
 NATOR-FRIENDLY PLANTING.
   § 4. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  235-c  to
 read as follows:
   § 235-C. PROMOTION OF POLLINATOR HEALTH.  EACH STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK  CAMPUS  SHALL  CONSIDER  POLICIES TO PROMOTE POLLINATOR HEALTH AND
 EXPAND SUPPORTIVE HABITATS.  POSSIBLE CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDE  GUIDELINES
 FOR:
   1.  ESTABLISHING A STANDING COMMITTEE OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF,
 INCLUDING A MEMBER OF THE GROUNDS OR LANDSCAPING DEPARTMENTS, TO  EVALU-
 ATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING POLLINATOR HABITATS ON CAMPUS;
   2.  INCREASING  THE ABUNDANCE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND SUPPORTIVE HABITATS
 ON CAMPUS;
   3. ADOPTING AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN TO PREVENT  PEST  PROB-
 LEMS,  REDUCE  PESTICIDE  USE,  AND  EXPAND THE USE OF NON-CHEMICAL PEST
 MANAGEMENT METHODS;
   4. OFFERING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS  AND
 COMMUNITY  MEMBERS ABOUT NATIVE POLLINATORS AND POLLINATOR CONSERVATION;
 AND
   5. OFFERING YEARLY SERVICE-LEARNING  PROJECTS  ON  CAMPUS  TO  ENHANCE
 POLLINATOR HABITATS.
   §  5.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 409-o to
 read as follows:
   § 409-O. POLLINATOR FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING. THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION,  SHALL  DEVELOP
 GUIDELINES  FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR POLLINATOR FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING AND
 GROUNDSKEEPING PRACTICES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THE  USE  OF
 NATIVE PLANTS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, INCORPORATING POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PRAC-
 TICES  INTO SCHOOL GARDENS, AND REDUCING THE USE OF PESTICIDES ON SCHOOL
 GROUNDS.
   § 6. Section 19-a of the highway law, as added by chapter 763  of  the
 laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   § 19-a. Pollinator friendly plant species; medians AND VERGES. 1.  The
 commissioner  shall, in cooperation with the department of environmental
 conservation, develop policies and procedures to encourage  the  use  of
 native  plant species that are pollinator friendly in medians AND VERGES
 along highways under the jurisdiction of the department and to encourage
 and provide technical assistance to counties, cities, towns and villages
 in the use of native plant species that are pollinator friendly in medi-
 ans AND VERGES along highways under the respective jurisdiction of  such
 counties, cities, towns and villages.
   2.  The  commissioner shall develop policies and procedures for mowing
 medians AND VERGES located along highways on the state system  of  high-
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 ways that will, wherever feasible and consistent with standards of safe-
 ty  for  motor  vehicle operators, cyclists, and pedestrians, reduce the
 amount of area within such highway medians AND VERGES that is mowed.
   §  7.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.