S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7908

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 24, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. LAVALLE, HANNON, MARCELLINO, VENDITTO -- read twice
  and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
  on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT in relation to creating the New York  state  ocean  acidification
  task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expi-
  ration thereof

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. New York state ocean acidification task force. 1.  There is
hereby established, within the department of environmental conservation,
an ocean acidification task force ("task force") which shall consist  of
14 members who shall be appointed as follows:
  (a)  the  commissioner  of  environmental  conservation  or his or her
designee;
  (b) the secretary of state or his or her designee;
  (c) the commissioner of the office of general services or his  or  her
designee;
  (d) two members appointed by the governor;
  (e)  two  members  to  be  appointed by the temporary president of the
senate;
  (f) two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
  (g) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
  (h) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
  (i) one member to be appointed by the mayor of the city of New York;
  (j) one member to be appointed by the county executive of  the  county
of Nassau; and
  (k)  one  member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
of Suffolk.
  2. The at large members should include individuals with  expertise  in
one  or  more of the following areas: climatology; hydrology; economics;
marine fisheries including commercial and/or recreational fishing; envi-
ronmental; aquaculture; oceanography or  coastal  ocean  science;  ocean
acidification; and ecology or environmental biology.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD15546-01-6
              

S. 7908                             2

  3. Task force members shall receive no compensation for their services
but  shall  be  reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties.
  4.  The  chairperson  of  the  task force shall be the commissioner of
environmental conservation or his or her designee. The task force  shall
meet  no  less  than  four  times  and at other times at the call of the
chairperson.
  5. Any vacancies on the task force  shall  be  filled  in  the  manner
provided for in the initial appointment.
  6.  The  task  force  shall  be authorized to hold public hearings and
meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties.
  7. The task force  may  consult  with  any  organization,  educational
institution,  other government entity or agency or person including, but
not limited to, the national ocean and  atmospheric  administration,  in
the  development  of  its  report  required  by  subdivision  10 of this
section.
  8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the task
force with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the  task
force to carry out its powers and duties.  Additionally, all other agen-
cies  of  the  state  or subdivisions thereof may, at the request of the
chairperson, provide the task force with  such  facilities,  assistance,
and  data  as  will  enable  the  task force to carry out its powers and
duties.
  9. The purpose of the New York state ocean  acidification  task  force
shall be to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidi-
fication  and  evaluating ways of addressing the problem by applying the
best available science as to ocean  acidification  and  its  anticipated
impacts.
  10.  No later than December 31, 2018, the task force shall transmit to
the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the  speaker  of
the assembly a report containing the following:
  (a) an assessment of the anticipated impacts related to ocean acidifi-
cation;
  (b)  recommendations related to mechanisms New York could establish to
provide stronger, more protective standards, and the implementation  and
enforcement of such standards in the context of ocean acidification;
  (c)  recommendations regarding adaptive measures which may be taken to
respond to ocean acidification, including measures to:
  (i) identify and monitor  early  effects  of  ocean  acidification  on
marine life, animals, plants and natural communities; and
  (ii)  integrate  ocean acidification mitigation and adaptation strate-
gies into state environmental plans;
  (d) recommendations on state and  local  regulatory  and/or  statutory
alterations to respond to the impacts of ocean acidification;
  (e) review existing scientific literature and data on ocean acidifica-
tion  and  how it has directly or indirectly affected or may potentially
affect commercially harvested and grown species along the coast;
  (f) identify and monitor the factors contributing to ocean  acidifica-
tion; and
  (g)  recommendations  to increase public awareness of ocean acidifica-
tion.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
deemed repealed January 1, 2019.