NY State Senate Bill 2017-S8033

Senate Bill S8033

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Establishes a commission to be known as the "New York State Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans"

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 21, 2018	referred to finance

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2017-S8033 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10235
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Commissions
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S3428, A6690
2021-2022: A8413

2017-S8033 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a commission to be known as the "New York State Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans".

2017-S8033 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8033

SPONSOR: ALCANTARA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to establish a commission to be known as the
"New York State Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans"

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:

an act to establish a temporary commission on the threat of rising
oceans to review the threat to coastal communities in New York State and
requires recommendations on how to provide for and strengthen the flood
insurance programs and improve disaster preparedness in resilience for
weather related incidents.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. There is hereby established a temporary commission, titled
"New York State Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans."

Section 2. 1. This commission shall: Be composed of 17 members and
conduct business with according this section.

2. The members shall be appointed for the life of the commission as
follows:

a. 3 appointed by temporary president of senate

b. 1 appointed by minority leader of senate

c. 3 appointed by speaker of assembly, one shall be representative of
Mayor of New York City

d. 1 appointed by minority leader of assembly

e. 9 appointed by governor

3. Members of commission will have had previous knowledge, experience,
in matters to be studied by commission under subdivision 7 of this
section; Members can be from public sector, nonprofits, or private
sector, at least 5 representatives from the city of New York.

4. All appointers shall make his or her respective appointments not
later than 30 days after effect date of this act.

5. Initial meeting of this commission shall not affect the powers of the
commission, and is to be filled in the same manner as original appoint-
ment, not later than 30 days after vacancy occurs.

6. A majority of the members will constitute a quorum to conduct busi-
ness, but the commission may establish a lesser quorum for conducting
hearings. Each member has one vote, all in equal weight.  The commission
may establish, by majority vote, any other rules for the conduct of
commission's business.

7. The commission shall conduct a comprehensive study on the threat of
rising ocean levels. The matters studied by commission under this subdi-
vision shall include, but not limited to:

1. The threat of rising oceans on shoreline communities
2. Options available to protect New York City and Long Island and
provide a cost estimate for such options.

3. Options available to protect New York Harbor including but not limit-
ed to, the building of a sea wall and its associated costs

4. international infrastructure in place to protect their regions and
provide a comparative description of what other nations have done to
address that threat in those regions and at what costs

5. A review of federal flood insurance program and provide recommenda-
tions on how NYS can supplement existing program or create a state fund
insurance program

6. A review of current flood zone designations of shoreline and water-
front communities, and recommend changes.

7. A potential public awareness campaign and associated funding require-
ment for such outreach to inform residents of impacted communities and
those in projected flood zones.

8. The commission has the power to hold hearings, at such sites and to
act at such times and places, carting out its duties under this subdivi-
sion.

9. The members of the commission shall not be given any form of compen-
sation, and shall be allowed no travel expenses while away from their
homes or regular places of business in the performance of service for
the commission Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

It is obvious that very little has been done to protect New York State
shoreline communities and those living in flood zones recently updated
from the devastation that rising oceans will have on them. Either by way
of severe weather or through the gradual and current ongoing problem of
rising ocean levels, New York State is in harm's way.

For centuries, people living in Scandinavian countries, with vastly less
wealth and without modern technologies, have held back the Atlantic
Ocean, Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland from destroy-
ing their homes, cities and arable lands. Yet, six years after Super-
storm Sandy and its $60 billion dollars in damage to New York and New
Jersey; where water filtration plants, sewage treatment plants and other
critical infrastructure were destroyed; where the national guard had to
be deployed to evacuate trapped elderly in nursing homes; where communi-
cation networks became inoperable including FEMA's command center HQ for
the region, New York State remains as ill-prepared for the next severe
weather related disaster.

This legislation moves the discussion on what needs forward and under a
timeline. This legislation looks for answers and solutions from proven
strategies of protecting life and property and will allow the concrete
evidence to shape the discussions that in reality should have already
taken place. In the absence of what should already have happened, this
legislation is a policy proposal that needs the full attention and
support of all New Yorkers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New legislation.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

NONE

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately and with commission members to be appointed within 30 days
of enactment.

2017-S8033 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8033
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 21, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN  ACT  to  establish  a  commission to be known as the "New York State
   Temporary Commission on the Threat of Rising Oceans"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  There  is hereby established a temporary commission to be
 known as the "New York State  Temporary  Commission  on  the  Threat  of
 Rising Oceans", hereinafter referred to in this act as the "commission".
   § 2. 1. The commission shall:
   (a) be composed of 17 members appointed in accordance with subdivision
 two of this section; and
   (b)  conduct  its  business  in accordance with the provisions of this
 section.
   2. The members shall be appointed for the life of  the  commission  as
 follows:
   (a) 3 shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (b) 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
   (c)  3  shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly of which one
 shall be a representative of the Mayor of New York City;
   (d) 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
   (e) 9 shall be appointed by the governor.
   3. The members of the commission shall be individuals who  have  know-
 ledge  or expertise, whether by experience or training, in matters to be
 studied by the commission under subdivision seven of this  section.  The
 members  may  be from the public sector, who may include federal, state,
 or local officers or employees, members of academia, nonprofit organiza-
 tions, or other  interested  individuals  or  the  private  sector.  The
 members  shall  include  at least 5 representatives from the city of New
 York.
   4. The temporary president of the senate, the minority leader  of  the
 senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly
 and the governor shall make his or her respective appointments not later
 than  30  days  after  the  effective date of this act. Any vacancy that

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15041-01-8

 S. 8033                             2
 
 occurs during the life of the commission shall not affect the powers  of
 the  commission  and  shall be filled in the same manner as the original
 appointment not later than 30 days after the vacancy occurs.
   5.  The initial meeting of the commission shall be conducted not later
 than 30 days after the appointment of the last member of the commission.
 The first act of the commission shall be to select by consensus a chair-
 person.
   6. A majority of the members shall  constitute  a  quorum  to  conduct
 business,  but the commission may establish a lesser quorum for conduct-
 ing hearings scheduled by the commission. Each member shall have 1  vote
 and  the  vote  of  each  member  shall be accorded the same weight. The
 commission may establish, by majority vote,  any  other  rules  for  the
 conduct  of  the  commission's  business,  insofar as such rules are not
 inconsistent with this section or other applicable law.
   7. The commission shall conduct a comprehensive study on the threat of
 rising ocean levels.
   (a) The matters studied by the commission under this subdivision shall
 include, but not be limited to:
   (1) the threat  of  rising  oceans  on  shoreline  communities,  their
 infrastructure, and residents;
   (2)  options  available  to protect New York City and Long Island from
 rising oceans and provide a cost estimate for such options;
   (3) options available to protect New York Harbor from  rising  oceans,
 including,  but not limited to, the building of a sea wall and its asso-
 ciated costs;
   (4) international infrastructure in place  to  protect  other  regions
 from  rising  oceans and provide a comparative description of what other
 nations have done to address that threat in those regions  and  at  what
 costs;
   (5) a review of the federal flood insurance program and provide recom-
 mendations  on how New York State can supplement the program or create a
 state flood insurance program to address the looming threat of damage to
 waterfront communities;
   (6) a review of the current flood zone designations of  shoreline  and
 waterfront communities and recommend changes to such designations; and
   (7)  a  potential  public  awareness  campaign  and associated funding
 requirement for such outreach to inform residents of  impacted  communi-
 ties  and  those  in projected flood zones on how to prepare for pending
 damage by rising oceans.
   (b) Not later than March 1, 2019, the commission shall submit  to  the
 governor,  the  senate,  and  the assembly a comprehensive report on the
 commission's findings and conclusions. Such report  shall  address  each
 matter studied by the commission.
   8. The commission shall have the power to hold hearings, at such sites
 and  to  act  at  such  times and places, to take such testimony, and to
 receive such evidence as the commission considers advisable to  carrying
 out its duties under this subdivision.
   9.  The  members  of  the  commission  shall  not be given any form of
 compensation and shall be allowed no travel  expenses  while  away  from
 their  homes or regular places of business in the performance of service
 for the commission.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S8033

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Sponsored By

Marisol Alcantara