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Senate Bill S8696

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the state university of New York to install solar canopies on its campuses

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

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2025-S8696 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §355, Ed L

2025-S8696 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the state university of New York to install solar canopies on its campuses.

2025-S8696 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8696 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8696
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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

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