Assembly Bill A9624

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9624
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KASSAY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the education law, in relation to requiring the state
   university of New York to install solar canopies on its campuses
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22.  A. THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT RULES REQUIRING EACH
 INSTITUTION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW  YORK,  TO  CALCULATE,  IN  A
 MANNER  TO  BE  DEVELOPED BY THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE TOTAL
 AMOUNT OF SQUARE KILOMETERS OCCUPIED BY PARKING FACILITIES SUITABLE  FOR
 SOLAR  CANOPY  DEVELOPMENT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION.
   B. THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL  UTILIZE  THE  DATA  FROM  EACH
 INSTITUTION,  CALCULATED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH A OF THIS SUBDIVISION, TO
 CREATE A DISTRIBUTED SOLAR ENERGY GOAL FOR EACH INSTITUTION  TO  USE  NO
 LESS  THAN  SEVENTY-FIVE  PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE PARKING FACILITY SPACE FOR
 SOLAR CANOPIES BY TWO THOUSAND FORTY.
   C. BEGINNING ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,
 ANY  CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
 ON A CAMPUS OF AN INSTITUTION WHERE THE SCOPE OF SUCH PROJECT INCLUDES A
 PARKING GARAGE, OPEN PARKING LOT OR OTHER PARKING FACILITY  THAT  OFFERS
 PARKING  SPACES  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF PUBLIC USE, STATE EMPLOYEE USE OR
 PAY-PER-USAGE OR INCLUDES A PARKING GARAGE, OPEN PARKING  LOT  OR  OTHER
 PARKING  FACILITY  CONSTRUCTED  BY  A PRIVATE ENTITY USING STATE CAPITAL
 FUNDING, SHALL INSTALL SOLAR CANOPIES IN SUCH  FACILITIES,  UNLESS  SUCH
 INSTITUTION  HAS  ALREADY  REACHED  THE SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT GOAL ESTAB-
 LISHED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH B OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   D. AS USED IN THIS SUBDIVISION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE  THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (1)  "PARKING  FACILITY" SHALL MEAN A PARKING GARAGE, OPEN PARKING LOT
 OR OTHER PARKING FACILITY OWNED AND/OR OPERATED BY THE STATE  UNIVERSITY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14077-01-5
              

 A. 9624                             2
 
 OF  NEW YORK, THAT OFFERS PARKING SPACES FOR THE PURPOSES OF PUBLIC USE,
 FACULTY AND STAFF USE, STUDENT USE, OR PAY-PER-USAGE.
   (2) "SOLAR CANOPY" SHALL MEAN A SYSTEM DESIGNED TO CAPTURE SOLAR RADI-
 ATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING USABLE ENERGY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.