S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
525
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the metropol-
itan commuter transportation authority establishing and implementing a
vegetation management policy
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 1266 of the public authorities law is amended by
adding a new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW OR THE TERMS OF ANY
CONTRACT, THE AUTHORITY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD
AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY, SHALL ESTABLISH AND
IMPLEMENT A POLICY FOR RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF VEGETATION AND OTHER
ACTIVITIES THAT IMPACT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES TO OUTLINE POLICIES AND
GOALS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF VEGETATION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT IMPACT
NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES UNDER THE CONTROL OF SUCH COMMUTER RAIL COMPA-
NIES. THE PURPOSE OF SUCH POLICY IS TO DETAIL COMMUTER RAIL MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES WITH RESPECT TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ACTIONS AND OTHER
ACTIONS THAT IMPACT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, AND COORDINATION AND COMMU-
NICATION REGARDING SUCH ACTIONS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS
NEAR COMMUTER RAIL PROPERTIES IN FURTHERANCE OF THE SAFETY AND EFFICIEN-
CY OF COMMUTER RAIL OPERATIONS. SUCH POLICY SHALL:
(A) BE CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE FEDERAL
RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL LAWS, RULES OR REGULATIONS
GOVERNING VEGETATION MANAGEMENT OR OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT IMPACT NEIGH-
BORING PROPERTIES BY A COMMUTER RAIL COMPANY;
(B) INCLUDE GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND
PROPERTY OWNERS NEIGHBORING COMMUTER RAIL PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE
IMPACTED BY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ACTIONS AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT IMPACT
NEIGHBORING PROPERTY;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01394-01-5
S. 525 2
(C) BE CONSISTENT WITH SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS OF THE
COMMUTER RAIL LINES;
(D) PROVIDE GUIDANCE THAT SUCH ACTIONS CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON NEIGH-
BORING PROPERTIES AND COMMUNITIES AND INCLUDE A GOAL OF MINIMIZING NEGA-
TIVE IMPACTS WHERE POSSIBLE;
(E) PROVIDE THAT VEGETATION REMOVAL AND MANAGEMENT POLICIES SHOULD
CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES CONSISTENT WITH THE OPERA-
TIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMUTER RAIL LINES;
(F) PROVIDE FOR MEANINGFUL PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE, WHEN REASONABLY PRAC-
TICABLE, OF ANY SIGNIFICANT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY OR OTHER
SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES THAT IMPACT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES TO IMPACTED
STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY SUCH ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO (1) THE COMMUNITY BOARD OR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
REPRESENTING ALL MUNICIPALITIES ENCOMPASSING LAND SUBJECT TO SUCH ACTIV-
ITIES, (2) COUNTY AND STATE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING
DISTRICTS ENCOMPASSING LAND SUBJECT TO SUCH ACTIVITIES OR CONTIGUOUS TO
A DISTRICT THAT CONTAINS AREAS AFFECTED BY SUCH ACTIVITIES, (3) THE
EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH SUCH ACTIVITY OCCURS, (4) ANY NEIGHBOR-
HOOD ASSOCIATION OR SIMILAR ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING A NEIGHBORHOOD
SUBJECT TO SUCH ACTIVITIES OR ADJACENT TO SUCH ACTIVITIES, AND (5)
PERSONS RESIDING OR OWNING PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE SITES OF SUCH ACTIV-
ITIES; AND
(G) REQUIRE CONSIDERATION OF ANY IMPACT ON FLOODING TO NEIGHBORING
PROPERTIES AS A RESULT OF ANY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT OR OTHER ACTIVITIES
THAT IMPACT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES TAKEN PURSUANT TO THE POLICY.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.