LBD07108-05-9
A. 5334--A 2
(vi) a risk of damage to $1,000,000,000,000 of public infrastructure
and coastal real estate in the United States; and
(d) global temperatures must be kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius above
preindustrialized levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing
climate, which will require:
(i) global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from human sources
of 40 to 60 percent from 2010 levels by 2030; and
(ii) net-zero global emissions by 2050.
2. As the United States, including New York, has historically been
responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions,
having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through
2014, and has a high technological capacity, the United States and New
York must take a leading role in reducing emissions through economic
transformation.
3. The United States is currently experiencing several related crises,
with:
(a) life expectancy declining while basic needs, such as clean air,
clean water, healthy food, and adequate health care, housing, transpor-
tation, and education, are inaccessible to a significant portion of the
United States population;
(b) a 4-decade trend of wage stagnation, deindustrialization, and
antilabor policies that has led to:
(i) hourly wages overall stagnating since the 1970's despite increased
worker productivity;
(ii) the third-worst level of socioeconomic mobility in the developed
world before the Great Recession;
(iii) the erosion of the earning and bargaining power of workers in
the United States; and
(iv) inadequate resources for public sector workers to confront the
challenges of climate change at local, state, and federal levels; and
(c) the greatest income inequality since the 1920's, with:
(i) the top 1 percent of earners accruing 91 percent of gains in the
first few years of economic recovery after the Great Recession;
(ii) a large racial wealth divide amounting to a difference of 20
times more wealth between the average white family and the average black
family; and
(iii) a gender earnings gap that results in women earning approximate-
ly 80 percent as much as men, at the median.
4. Climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction have
exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, and
economic injustices (hereinafter referred to as "systemic injustices")
by disproportionately affecting indigenous peoples, communities of
color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated
rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the
unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (hereinafter referred to
as "frontline and vulnerable communities").
5. Climate change constitutes a direct threat to the national security
of the United States:
(a) by impacting the economic, environmental, and social stability of
countries and communities around the world; and
(b) by acting as a threat multiplier.
6. The federal government-led mobilizations during World War II and
the New Deal created the greatest middle class that the United States
has ever seen, but many members of frontline and vulnerable communities
were excluded from many of the economic and societal benefits of those
mobilizations.
A. 5334--A 3
7. The New York state government recognizes that a new national,
social, industrial, and economic mobilization on a scale not seen since
World War II and the New Deal era is a historic opportunity:
(a) to create millions of good, high-wage jobs in New York state;
(b) to provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic securi-
ty for all people of New York state; and
(c) to counteract systemic injustices.
8. Now, therefore, be it resolved that it is the sense of the New York
state legislature that:
(a) it is the duty of the New York state government to create a Green
New Deal:
(i) to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and
just transition for all communities and workers;
(ii) to create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity
and economic security for all people of New York state;
(iii) to invest in the infrastructure and industry of New York state
to sustainably meet the challenges of the twenty-first century;
(iv) to secure for all people of New York state for generations to
come:
(A) clean air and water;
(B) climate and community resiliency;
(C) healthy food;
(D) access to nature; and
(E) a sustainable environment; and
(v) to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing
future, and repairing historic oppression of frontline and vulnerable
communities;
(b) the goals described in clauses (A) through (E) of subparagraph
(iv) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision (hereinafter referred to as
"Green New Deal for New York goals") should be accomplished through a
10-year national mobilization (hereinafter referred to as "Green New
Deal mobilization") that will require the following goals and projects:
(i) building resiliency against climate change-related disasters, such
as extreme weather, including by leveraging funding and providing
investments for community-defined projects and strategies;
(ii) repairing and upgrading the infrastructure in New York state,
including:
(A) by eliminating pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as much as
technologically feasible;
(B) by guaranteeing universal access to clean water;
(C) by reducing the risks posed by climate impacts; and
(D) by ensuring that any infrastructure bill considered by New York
state government addresses climate change;
(iii) meeting 100 percent of the power demand in New York state
through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources, including:
(A) by dramatically expanding and upgrading renewable power sources;
and
(B) by deploying new capacity;
(iv) building or upgrading to energy-efficient, distributed, and
"smart" power grids, and ensuring affordable access to electricity;
(v) upgrading all existing buildings in New York state and building
new buildings to achieve maximum energy efficiency, water efficiency,
safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through elec-
trification;
(vi) spurring massive growth in clean manufacturing in New York state
and removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing
A. 5334--A 4
and industry as much as is technologically feasible, including by
expanding renewable energy manufacturing and investing in existing manu-
facturing and industry;
(vii) working collaboratively with farmers and ranchers in New York
state to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricul-
tural sector as much as is technologically feasible, including:
(A) by supporting family farming;
(B) by investing in sustainable farming and land use practices that
increase soil health; and
(C) by building a more sustainable food system that ensures universal
access to healthy food;
(viii) overhauling transportation systems in New York state to remove
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as
much as is technologically feasible, including through investment in:
(A) zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing;
(B) clean, affordable, and accessible public transit; and
(C) high-speed rail;
(ix) mitigating and managing the long-term adverse health, economic,
and other effects of pollution and climate change, including by provid-
ing funding for community-defined projects and strategies;
(x) removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and reducing
pollution by restoring natural ecosystems through proven low-tech
solutions that increase soil carbon storage, such as land preservation
and afforestation;
(xi) restoring and protecting threatened, endangered, and fragile
ecosystems through locally appropriate and science-based projects that
enhance biodiversity and support climate resiliency;
(xii) cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites, ensur-
ing economic development and sustainability on those sites;
(xiii) identifying other emission and pollution sources and creating
solutions to remove them; and
(xiv) promoting the international exchange of technology, expertise,
products, funding, and services, with the aim of making New York state
the international leader on climate action, and to help other countries
achieve a Green New Deal;
(c) a Green New Deal for New York must be developed through transpar-
ent and inclusive consultation, collaboration, and partnership with
frontline and vulnerable communities, labor unions, worker cooperatives,
civil society groups, academia, and businesses; and
(d) to achieve the Green New Deal for New York goals and mobilization,
a Green New Deal for New York will require the following goals and
projects:
(i) providing and leveraging, in a way that ensures that the public
receives appropriate ownership stakes and returns on investment,
adequate capital, including through community grants, public banks, and
other public financing, technical expertise, supporting policies, and
other forms of assistance to communities, organizations, federal, state,
and local government agencies, and businesses working on the Green New
Deal for New York mobilization;
(ii) ensuring that New York state government takes into account the
complete environmental and social costs and impacts of emissions
through:
(A) existing laws;
(B) new policies and programs; and
(C) ensuring that frontline and vulnerable communities shall not be
adversely affected;
A. 5334--A 5
(iii) providing resources, training, and high-quality education,
including higher education, to all people of New York state, with a
focus on frontline and vulnerable communities, so that all people of New
York state may be full and equal participants in the Green New Deal for
New York mobilization;
(iv) making public investments in the research and development of new
clean and renewable energy technologies and industries;
(v) directing investments to spur economic development, deepen and
diversify industry and business in local and regional economies, and
build wealth and community ownership, while prioritizing high-quality
job creation and economic, social, and environmental benefits in front-
line and vulnerable communities, and deindustrialized communities, that
may otherwise struggle with the transition away from greenhouse gas
intensive industries;
(vi) ensuring the use of democratic and participatory processes that
are inclusive of and led by frontline and vulnerable communities and
workers to plan, implement, and administer the Green New Deal for New
York mobilization at the local level;
(vii) ensuring that the Green New Deal for New York mobilization
creates high-quality union jobs that pay prevailing wages, hires local
workers, offers training and advancement opportunities, and guarantees
wage and benefit parity for workers affected by the transition;
(viii) guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate
family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all
people of New York state;
(ix) strengthening and protecting the right of all workers to organ-
ize, unionize, and collectively bargain free of coercion, intimidation,
and harassment;
(x) strengthening and enforcing labor, workplace health and safety,
antidiscrimination, and wage and hour standards across all employers,
industries, and sectors;
(xi) enacting and enforcing trade rules, procurement standards, and
border adjustments with strong labor and environmental protections:
(A) to stop the transfer of jobs and pollution overseas; and
(B) to grow domestic manufacturing in New York state;
(xii) ensuring that public lands, waters, and oceans are protected and
that eminent domain is not abused;
(xiii) obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous
peoples for all decisions that affect indigenous peoples and their
traditional territories, honoring all treaties and agreements with
indigenous peoples, and protecting and enforcing the sovereignty and
land rights of indigenous peoples;
(xiv) ensuring a commercial environment where every businessperson is
free from unfair competition and domination by domestic or international
monopolies; and
(xv) providing all people of New York state with:
(A) high-quality health care;
(B) affordable, safe, and adequate housing;
(C) economic security; and
(D) clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and access to
nature.
§ 2. Green New Deal for New York task force. 1. There shall be a task
force for a Green New Deal for New York which shall consist of the
following nineteen voting members: three members appointed by the
governor, one of which shall serve as the chair of the task force; pres-
ident of the New York state energy research and development authority,
A. 5334--A 6
or his or her designee; the chair of the public service commission, or
his or her designee; the commissioner of environmental conservation; or
his or her designee; president of empire state development or his or her
designee; the commissioner of transportation, or his or her designee;
the commissioner of health, or his or her designee; and the commissioner
of agriculture and markets, or his or her designee; the president of the
New York state AFL-CIO or his or her designee; the three members
appointed by the temporary president of the senate, one of whom shall be
a representative from the private sector; three members appointed by the
speaker of the assembly, one of whom shall be a representative from the
private sector; one member appointed by the minority leader of the
senate; and one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
and in consultation with the following and other relevant state agen-
cies, public authorities, local governments, the federal government and
non-governmental organizations: the department of health, the department
of labor, the department of state, the division of homeland security and
emergency services, the power authority of the state of New York, the
Long Island power authority, the department of taxation and finance, the
metropolitan transportation authority, the state university of New York,
the city university of New York, the New York independent system opera-
tor, and others.
2. No member of the task force shall be disqualified from holding any
public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any such office
of employment by virtue of his or her appointment pursuant to this
section.
3. Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their
services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
incurred in the performance of their functions pursuant to this section.
4. The task force shall hold at least five public hearings. To the
extent practicable, such hearings shall be held in different regions of
the state. During the public hearings, the task force shall hear the
testimony of voluntary witnesses.
5. The task force shall develop a detailed statewide, industrial,
economic mobilization plan (hereinafter referred to as the "plan for a
Green New Deal for New York" or the "plan") for the transition of the
New York economy to become greenhouse gas emissions neutral by 2030, or
as soon as feasible, by eliminating pollution and greenhouse gas emis-
sions as much as technologically feasible, by transitioning rapidly to
clean renewable energy technologies and to significantly draw down
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans and to promote economic
and environmental justice and equality. In furtherance of the foregoing,
the plan shall:
(a) be prepared in consultation with experts and leaders from busi-
ness, labor, state and local governments, tribal nations, academia and
broadly representative civil society groups and communities;
(b) be driven by the state government, in collaboration, co-creation
and partnership with business, labor, local governments, tribal nations,
research institutions and civil society groups and communities, and the
federal government;
(c) be executed in no longer than 10 years from the start of execution
of such plan;
(d) provide opportunities for high income work, entrepreneurship and
cooperative and public ownership; and
(e) additionally, be responsive to, and in accordance with, the goals
and guidelines relating to social, economic, racial, regional and
gender-based justice and equality.
A. 5334--A 7
6. In addition to preparing the plan, the task force shall prepare
draft legislation for the enactment of the plan in accordance with this
section. Such draft legislation may be prepared concurrently with the
development of the plan, or as the task force may otherwise deem appro-
priate, provided that such finalized draft legislation shall be
completed in accordance with the timing set forth in subparagraph (ii)
of paragraph (b) of subdivision 9 of this section.
7. The task force shall have the authority to investigate, study, make
findings, convene experts and leaders from industry, academia, local
communities, labor, finance, environmental justice, technology and any
other industry or group that the select committee deems to be a relevant
resource. The task force may, at its discretion and as its members may
deem appropriate, hold public hearings in connection with any aspect of
its investigative functions.
8. To enable the task force to carry out the purposes of this article,
the task force will use existing staff and resources from appropriate
agencies.
9. (a) The task force shall submit a preliminary report on the plan to
the governor, senate and assembly and online for the public by September
1, 2019 and as it deems appropriate from time to time the results of its
investigations and studies, together with such detailed findings and
interim recommendations or proposed plan or draft legislation, or
portion thereof, as it may deem advisable.
(b)(i) The task force shall complete the plan for a Green New Deal for
New York and issue a report to the governor, the temporary president of
the senate, and the speaker of the assembly by a date no later than
January 1, 2020.
(ii) The task force shall complete the finalized draft legislation and
submit it to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and
the speaker of the assembly by a date no later than the date that is 90
calendar days after the task force has completed the plan and, in any
event, no later than March 1, 2020.
(iii) The task force shall ensure that the plan and the draft legis-
lation prepared in accordance with this section shall, upon completion
be made available to the general public in widely accessible formats
including, but not limited to, via at least one dedicated website and a
print publication, by a date no later than 30 calendar days following
the respective dates for completion.
10. (a) The plan for a Green New Deal and the draft legislation shall
be developed with the objective of reaching the following outcomes with-
in the target window of 10 years from the start of execution of the
plan:
(i) dramatically expand existing renewable power sources and deploy
new production capacity with the goal of meeting 100 percent of New York
state power demand through clean renewable sources;
(ii) building a statewide, energy-efficient, "smart" grid;
(iii) upgrading every residential and industrial building for state-
of-the-art energy efficiency, comfort and safety;
(iv) eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing,
agricultural and other industries, including by investing in local-scale
agriculture in communities across the state;
(v) eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from, repairing and improving
transportation and other infrastructure, and upgrading water infrastruc-
ture to ensure universal access to clean water;
(vi) funding massive investment in the drawdown of greenhouse gases;
A. 5334--A 8
(vii) making "green" technology, industry, expertise, products and
services a major export of New York state, with the aim of becoming the
undisputed international leader in helping other states and countries
transition to completely greenhouse gas neutral economies and bringing
about a global Green New Deal; and
(viii) explain how these actions will be financed and what the econom-
ic impact will be if we take these actions and if we do not take these
actions.
(b) The plan for a Green New Deal and the draft legislation shall
recognize that a state, industrial, economic mobilization of this scope
and scale is a historic opportunity to virtually eliminate poverty in
New York state and to make prosperity, wealth and economic security
available to everyone participating in the transformation. In further-
ance of the foregoing, the plan and the draft legislation shall:
(i) provide all members of our society, across all regions and all
communities, the opportunity, training and education to be a full and
equal participant in the transition, including through a job guarantee
program to assure a living wage job to every person who wants one;
(ii) diversify local and regional economies, with a particular focus
on communities where the fossil fuel industry holds significant control
over the labor market, to ensure workers have the necessary tools,
opportunities, and economic assistance to succeed during the energy
transition;
(iii) require strong enforcement of labor, workplace safety, and wage
standards that recognize the rights of workers to organize and unionize
free of coercion, intimidation, and harassment, and creation of meaning-
ful, quality, career employment;
(iv) ensure a 'just transition' for all workers, low-income communi-
ties, communities of color, indigenous communities, rural and urban
communities and the front-line communities most affected by climate
change, pollution and other environmental harm including by ensuring
that local implementation of the transition is led from the community
level and by prioritizing solutions that end the harms faced by front-
line communities from climate change and environmental pollution;
(v) protect and enforce sovereign rights and land rights of tribal
nations;
(vi) mitigate deeply entrenched racial, regional and gender-based
inequalities in income and wealth including, but not limited to, ensur-
ing that state and other investment will be equitably distributed to
historically impoverished, low income, deindustrialized or other margi-
nalized communities in such a way that builds wealth and ownership at
the community level;
(vii) include additional measures such as basic income programs,
universal health care programs and any others as the task force may deem
appropriate to promote economic security, labor market flexibility and
entrepreneurism;
(viii) deeply involve state and local labor unions to take a leader-
ship role in the process of job training and worker deployment; and
(ix) explain how these actions will be financed and what the economic
impact will be if these actions are taken and if these actions are not
taken.
(c) The plan for a Green New Deal and the draft legislation shall
recognize that innovative public and other financing structures are a
crucial component in achieving and furthering the goals and guidelines
relating to social, economic, racial, regional and gender-based justice
and equality and cooperative and public ownership. The plan and the
A. 5334--A 9
draft legislation shall, accordingly, ensure that the majority of
financing of the plan shall be accomplished by the state government,
using a combination of a new public bank or a system of regional and
specialized public banks, public venture funds and such other vehicles
or structures that the task force deems appropriate, in order to ensure
that interest and other investment returns generated from public invest-
ments made in connection with the plan will be returned to the state,
reduce taxpayer burden and allow for more investment.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed April 1, 2020.