S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7601
I N S E N A T E
May 11, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. KLEIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
ty and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the public health law and the envi-
ronmental conservation law, in relation to the protection of water
supplies
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 711-b
to read as follows:
S 711-B. REVIEW OF WATER SUPPLIER VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS ASSESSMENTS.
THE COMMISSIONER SHALL REVIEW EACH VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT
FROM A WATER SUPPLIER TRANSMITTED TO THE DIVISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH PURSUANT TO SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH LAW. THE COMMISSIONER MAY ISSUE RECOMMENDATIONS OR GENERAL GUID-
ANCE TO THE WATER SUPPLIER BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE
PROTECTIONS AGAINST A TERRORIST ATTACK OR CYBER ATTACK. SUCH RECOMMENDA-
TIONS AND GUIDANCE SHALL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AND SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM
DISCLOSURE UNDER ARTICLE SIX OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
S 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 1125 of the public
health law, as amended by chapter 405 of the laws of 2002, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) "Water supply emergency plan" shall mean a plan REVIEWED AND
approved by the commissioner and filed with the department. The plan
shall follow a form which shall be specified by the department and which
shall include, but not be limited to, those items enumerated in this
section, and shall address those actions to be taken by a water supplier
to anticipate emergencies and respond responsibly to emergency situ-
ations. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAINTAIN A LIST OF ALL WATER SUPPLIERS
REQUIRED TO FILE A WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCY PLAN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
S 3. Paragraph (k) of subdivision 2 of section 1125 of the public
health law, as amended by chapter 405 of the laws of 2002, is amended to
read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14903-02-6
S. 7601 2
(k) a vulnerability analysis assessment, including an analysis of
vulnerability to terrorist attack, INCLUDING CYBER ATTACK, which shall
be made after consultation with local and state law enforcement agen-
cies.
S 4. Subdivisions 5 and 8 of section 1125 of the public health law,
subdivision 5 as amended and subdivision 8 as added by chapter 317 of
the laws of 2007, are amended to read as follows:
5. Every water supplier shall review, and if necessary, revise its
water supply emergency plan and report its findings to the commissioner
by December thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-five. Any water
supplier whose water supply emergency plan does not include an analysis
of vulnerability to terrorist attack, INCLUDING CYBER ATTACK, shall
revise its emergency plan and report its findings to the commissioner by
January first, two thousand [three] SEVENTEEN. Every water supplier
shall keep its water supply emergency plan up to date, shall provide
updated communication and notification information to the commissioner
by December thirty-first of every year, and shall submit its water
supply emergency plan to the commissioner for review at least once every
five years and within thirty days after major water facility infrastruc-
ture changes have been made. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL TRANSMIT A COPY OF
EACH VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT FROM A WATER SUPPLIER TO THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE, COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND
SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER.
8. The commissioner, SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE, COMMISSIONER OF
THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND CHIEF
TECHNOLOGY OFFICER shall keep confidential: (a) all vulnerability analy-
sis assessments and all information derived therefrom; and (b) all
information determined by a water supplier to pose a security risk to
the operation of a water supply system. Such assessments and information
shall be exempt from disclosure under article six of the public officers
law. A person who, without authorization, discloses any such assessment
or information to another person who has not been authorized to receive
such assessment or information is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
S 5. Subdivisions 6, 7 and 8 of section 1125 of the public health law
are renumbered subdivisions 7, 8 and 9 and a new subdivision 6 is added
to read as follows:
6. (A) THE COMMISSIONER OR A COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT MAY PROVIDE
GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS ON CONDUCTING VULNER-
ABILITY ASSESSMENTS, PREPARING WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCY PLANS AND ADDRESS-
ING THREATS FROM TERRORIST ATTACKS, INCLUDING CYBER ATTACKS, DESIGNED TO
DISRUPT THE PROVISION OF SAFE DRINKING WATER OR SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH, OR SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE SAFETY OR SUPPLY OF DRINKING
WATER PROVIDED TO COMMUNITIES OR INDIVIDUALS.
(B) A COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM, THAT IS NOT A WATER SUPPLIER, MAY ELECT
TO COMPLETE A WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCY PLAN. SUCH COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM
MAY ELECT TO SUBMIT THE PLAN TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR APPROVAL. IN SUCH A
CASE, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBJECT THE PLAN TO SUCH APPROVAL PROCESS
AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
S 6. Subdivision 1 of section 15-0507 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, as amended by chapter 364 of the laws of 1999, is amended to
read as follows:
1. Any owner of a dam or other structure which impounds waters shall
at all times operate and maintain said structure and all appurtenant
structures in a safe condition. As used in this section and section
71-1109 of this chapter, "owner" means any person or local public corpo-
ration who owns, erects, reconstructs, repairs, maintains or uses a dam
S. 7601 3
or other structure which impounds waters. The commissioner may promul-
gate regulations requiring any owner to prepare and implement a safety
program for such dam or structure as necessary to safeguard life, prop-
erty or natural resources. Regulations governing the safety program may
include requirements for inspections, monitoring, maintenance and opera-
tion, emergency action planning, RESPONSE AND PREVENTION OF TERRORISM
AND CYBER TERRORISM, financial security, recordkeeping and reporting or
any other requirement the commissioner deems necessary to safeguard
life, property or natural resources. Such requirement shall only apply
to those dams or other structures that impound waters which pose, in the
event of failure, a threat of personal injury, substantial property
damage or substantial natural resource damage.
S 7. This act shall take effect immediately.