S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8993
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Local Governments
 
 AN ACT to amend the county law, the tax law and the Suffolk county water
   quality  restoration  act,  in  relation to the use of moneys from the
   water quality restoration fund
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  2  of  part TT of chapter 58 of the laws of 2023
 constituting the  Suffolk  county  water  quality  restoration  act,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   §  2.  Legislative  intent.  The  county of Suffolk ("county"), with a
 population of one million five hundred thousand persons, has  in  excess
 of  three  hundred  eighty  thousand existing onsite wastewater disposal
 systems, comprised mostly of cesspools  and  septic  systems,  with  two
 hundred  nine thousand of these onsite systems in environmentally sensi-
 tive areas which could benefit from nitrogen-reducing technologies.  The
 United  States Environmental Protection Agency recognizes Long Island as
 having a sole source aquifer  system  for  its  drinking  water  supply.
 Suffolk  county  has  an  imminent  need to preserve this valuable water
 resource by reducing the amount of nitrogen discharged into the  ground-
 water  by onsite systems. The full water cycle is impacted by increasing
 quantities of nutrients, pathogens, pesticides, volatile organic contam-
 inants and saltwater intrusion, as well as a number of emerging  threats
 such as prescription drugs and sea level rise.
   The Suffolk county subwatersheds wastewater plan ("SWP"), certified by
 the   department  of  environmental  conservation  as  a  Nine  Elements
 Watershed (9E) plan, has documented  the  devastating  effects  of  high
 levels  of  nitrogen  pollution, not only on the drinking water quality,
 but  also  on  coastal  ecosystems,  dissolved  oxygen,  water  clarity,
 eelgrass,  wetlands,  shellfish,  coastal  resilience  and in triggering
 harmful algal blooms. The SWP is a long-term plan to  address  the  need
 for wastewater treatment infrastructure throughout the county comprehen-
 sively  over  a period of fifty years. The SWP delineates the source and
 concentration of nitrogen loading  in  one  hundred  ninety-one  subwat-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13725-05-4
 A. 8993                             2
 
 ersheds  throughout the county, and establishes nitrogen reduction goals
 for each watershed.
   For many areas of the county, installing or connecting sewers is not a
 practical  or  cost-effective  method  of  treating wastewater. For that
 reason, the SWP prescribes a hybrid approach  that  relies  on  sewering
 where feasible, and the replacement of cesspools and septic systems with
 innovative/alternative  onsite wastewater treatment systems. The consol-
 idation of any or all of the twenty-seven  county  sewer  districts,  as
 well  as  unsewered  areas  of the county, into a county-wide wastewater
 management district, the establishment of a  water  quality  restoration
 fund,  and  a county board of trustees to monitor progress and the allo-
 cation of resources consistent with the goals of the SWP would allow for
 the implementation of a  much  needed  integrated  long-term  wastewater
 solution for the county through comprehensive planning and management to
 improve water quality.
   The  purpose of this act is to create a water quality restoration fund
 to finance projects for the protection, preservation, and rehabilitation
 of groundwater and surface waters as recommended by the  SWP.  This  act
 would allow the funding of projects that will mitigate wastewater pollu-
 tants  utilizing  the best available technology consistent with the SWP.
 The water quality restoration fund would be financed  with  a  dedicated
 and recurring revenue source by the enactment of an additional sales and
 compensating  use  tax  at  the  rate of one-eighth of one percent until
 2060. AFTER DEDUCTING ADMINISTRATIVE AND PLANNING COSTS,  FIFTY  PERCENT
 OF  THE  REVENUE  SHALL BE DEDICATED TO FUNDING INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC SYSTEM
 PROJECTS AND FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REVENUE SHALL BE DEDICATED TO  FUNDING
 PROJECTS  RELATED  TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES. Such tax would be
 enacted pursuant to a mandatory referendum.
   This act shall also provide  Suffolk  county  with  the  authority  to
 create  a county-wide wastewater management district through the consol-
 idation of existing county  sewer  districts  with  currently  unsewered
 areas  of  the county. A county-wide wastewater management district will
 provide an integrated and  efficient  approach  to  managing  wastewater
 services  across  the county; allow the county to enhance and expand its
 incentive program to property owners to upgrade their wastewater  treat-
 ment systems; to manage, monitor and enforce nitrogen reduction programs
 throughout  the  county;  complete  additional sewer extension projects;
 improve the economic wellbeing of communities; and provide  an  opportu-
 nity  to consolidate and streamline the county's existing sewer district
 system and normalize  the  inequitable  rate  structure  that  has  long
 existed.
   In  addition,  this  act  will  extend the existing one-quarter of one
 percent  sales  tax  utilized  to  finance  the  county  drinking  water
 protection program until 2060. TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF SUCH TAX IS APPOR-
 TIONED  FOR  SEWER TAXPAYER PROTECTION.  BEGINNING WITH THE FIRST FISCAL
 YEAR AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION FUND, A PORTION
 OF THE NET COLLECTIONS  OF  SUCH  TAX  APPORTIONED  FOR  SEWER  TAXPAYER
 PROTECTION  SHALL  BE TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION FUND,
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION 11 OF SECTION 256-B  OF  THE  COUNTY
 LAW.  SUCH  REVENUES  SHALL  BE  DEDICATED  SOLELY TO FUNDING INDIVIDUAL
 SEPTIC SYSTEM PROJECTS AS DEFINED IN SUCH SUBDIVISION.    IN  THE  FIRST
 FOUR  YEARS,  THE  PORTION  TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM FUNDS APPORTIONED FOR
 SEWER TAXPAYER PROTECTION TO THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION FUND SHALL BE
 FIVE PERCENT. IN YEAR FIVE, THE PORTION TO  BE  TRANSFERRED  FROM  FUNDS
 APPORTIONED FOR SEWER TAX PAYER PROTECTION TO THE WATER QUALITY RESTORA-
 TION  FUND  SHALL BE TWENTY PERCENT.  THE AMOUNT TO BE TRANSFERRED SHALL
 A. 8993                             3
 
 BE THIRTY PERCENT IN YEAR  SIX,  FORTY  PERCENT  IN  YEAR  SEVEN,  FIFTY
 PERCENT  IN  YEAR EIGHT, AND SEVENTY PERCENT IN YEARS NINE AND TEN.  THE
 PORTION TRANSFERRED TO THE FUND SHALL BE  FIFTY  PERCENT  IN  ALL  YEARS
 THEREAFTER.
   §  2.  Subdivision  11 of section 256-b of the county law, as added by
 section 3 of part TT of chapter 58 of the laws of 2023,  is  amended  to
 read as follows:
   11.  Water quality restoration fund. (a) Notwithstanding any provision
 of law to the contrary, the county of  Suffolk  shall  deposit  the  net
 collections  from  the  sales  and  compensating  use  tax authorized by
 section one thousand two hundred ten-F of the tax law into  the  Suffolk
 county  water  quality restoration fund established in accordance there-
 with, and shall utilize all monies transferred from the fund  consistent
 with this section.  Nothing contained in this section shall be construed
 to  prevent  the  financing  in  whole or in part, pursuant to the local
 finance law, of any project authorized pursuant to this section.  Monies
 from  the  fund may be utilized to repay any indebtedness or obligations
 incurred pursuant to the local finance law consistent with  effectuating
 the  purposes of this section.  Where Suffolk county finances a project,
 in whole, or in part, pursuant to the local finance law, the  resolution
 authorizing  such indebtedness shall be accompanied by a report from the
 county executive demonstrating how said indebtedness will be  repaid  by
 the fund. Said report shall include an estimate of projected revenues of
 the  fund  during  the  period  of  indebtedness.  The report shall also
 provide an accounting of all other  indebtedness  incurred  against  the
 fund  to  be  repaid  for the same period.  The county legislature shall
 make findings by resolution that there will  be  sufficient  revenue  to
 repay such indebtedness in its entirety from the fund before authorizing
 such  indebtedness.  Monies  in  said  fund  may be appropriated from or
 expended in any fiscal year to implement the powers set  forth  in  this
 section  and  to repay any indebtedness or obligations incurred pursuant
 to the local finance law for the purposes authorized  pursuant  to  this
 section.
   (b) (i) Water quality improvement projects shall be eligible for fund-
 ing  pursuant  to  this  section.   For purposes of this section, "water
 quality improvement projects" shall  mean:  (A)  the  planning,  design,
 construction,  acquisition,  enlargement,  extension, or alteration of a
 county, town or village wastewater treatment facility,  including  indi-
 vidual hookups, AND PROJECTS FOR THE REUSE OF TREATED EFFLUENT FROM SUCH
 WASTEWATER  TREATMENT  FACILITIES,  or  (B) an individual septic system,
 including an alternative wastewater treatment facility or an  individual
 septic  system  with  active treatment, to treat, neutralize, stabilize,
 eliminate or partially eliminate sewage or reduce pollutants,  including
 permanent  or  pilot  demonstration  wastewater  treatment  projects, or
 equipment or furnishings thereof.   In the  case  of  individual  septic
 system  projects,  the  funding of the operation and maintenance of such
 projects shall be included in the definition of "water quality  improve-
 ment  projects".   Such projects shall have as their purpose the remedi-
 ation of existing water quality to meet specific water quality standards
 consistent with the SWP. Projects consistent with or listed in  the  SWP
 that are part of a plan adopted by a local government resulting in a net
 nitrogen  reduction  shall be eligible for consideration by the board of
 trustees, established in accordance with subparagraph (i)  of  paragraph
 (c) of this subdivision.
   (ii)  Of  the  annual  collections  [of the fund] FROM THE TAX IMPOSED
 PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE THOUSAND TWO  HUNDRED  TEN-F  OF  THE  TAX  LAW,
 A. 8993                             4
 
 administration  of  the  county wastewater management district shall not
 exceed ten percent.  [Not less than seventy-five] THE COST  OF  PREPARA-
 TION  OF  AN ANNUAL SWP IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN TO PROTECT, PRESERVE,
 AND REHABILITATE GROUNDWATER, SURFACE WATER, AND DRINKING WATER SHALL BE
 INCLUDED  AS  PART  OF  SUCH ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. AFTER FIRST DEDUCTING
 SUCH ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, FIFTY percent of the [remaining annual  funds
 after  administration]  NET  REVENUE  FROM SUCH TAX shall be used toward
 funding individual septic [systems] SYSTEM projects AND FIFTY PERCENT OF
 THE NET REVENUE FROM SUCH TAX SHALL BE USED FOR FUNDING PROJECTS RELATED
 TO WASTEWATER  TREATMENT  FACILITIES.  [In  addition  to  water  quality
 improvement  projects,  other  eligible expenditures from the fund shall
 include the preparation of an annual SWP implementation action  plan  to
 protect,  preserve,  and  rehabilitate  groundwater,  surface water, and
 drinking water] ALL REVENUE TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION
 FUND FROM THE TAX IMPOSED PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE THOUSAND  TWO  HUNDRED
 TEN-A  OF  THE TAX LAW, AS REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH (IV) OF SUBDIVISION (D)
 OF SUCH SECTION, SHALL BE USED SOLELY TO FUND INDIVIDUAL  SEPTIC  SYSTEM
 PROJECTS.
   (iii)  Other  than  for  the  payment  of  indebtedness or obligations
 incurred as set forth in paragraph (a) of this subdivision,  and  except
 for the preparation of the SWP implementation plan itself, no monies may
 be  expended  until  the  SWP  implementation plan has been prepared and
 approved as provided for in this section.
   (IV) ANY EXPENDITURE FROM THE FUND  FOR  A  PURPOSE  OTHER  THAN  THAT
 EXPRESSLY PERMITTED, HEREIN, SHALL BE PROHIBITED.
   (c) (i) Within the local law, ordinance or resolution establishing the
 Suffolk  county water quality restoration fund, [pursuant to section one
 thousand two hundred ten-F of the tax law,] the county shall establish a
 board of trustees of twenty-one members to prepare, review  and  approve
 the  SWP  implementation plan for submission to the county executive and
 county legislature and shall specify the powers and duties of the  board
 of  trustees, including the procedures for appointment of a chairperson.
 Such approval shall be in addition to all other  approvals  required  by
 law.  The  board of trustees shall consist of: (A) a representative from
 the department of environmental conservation; (B) a representative  from
 the East End supervisors and mayors association; (C) a representative of
 the  Suffolk  town  supervisors association; (D) a representative of the
 Suffolk County Village Officials Association; (E) a town  representative
 from the State Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission
 to  be designated by the commission; (F) a municipal representative from
 the Peconic Estuary Partnership; (G) a municipal representative from the
 State South Shore Estuary Reserve; (H) a municipal  representative  from
 the  Long  Island Sound Estuary; (I) a representative of the Long Island
 Federation of Labor; (J) a representative of Building  and  Construction
 Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk counties; (K) a representative from a
 regional environmental organization; (L) the chair of the Suffolk county
 planning  commission;  (M)  the  county  executive  or designee; (N) the
 presiding officer of the county legislature or designee; (O) the minori-
 ty leader of the county legislature or designee; (P) the county  depart-
 ment of public works commissioner or designee; (Q) the county department
 of health services commissioner or designee; (R) a representative from a
 regional  economic  development  organization; (S) a representative from
 the liquid waste industry; (T) a representative from the Suffolk  County
 Alliance  of  Chambers,  Inc.;  and  (U)  a representative from the Long
 Island Contractors Association.
 A. 8993                             5
 
   (ii) The powers and duties of the board of  trustees  shall  [oversee]
 INCLUDE  OVERSEEING  the  annual audit pursuant to paragraph (e) of this
 subdivision, making prudent recommendations for resource allocations for
 county-approved  alternative  wastewater  treatment   technologies   not
 contemplated  in  the  Suffolk  county subwatersheds wastewater plan and
 long-term progress monitoring of the implementation of the Suffolk coun-
 ty subwatersheds wastewater plan regarding achievements of nitrogen load
 reductions and ecological endpoints.
   (d) Annual SWP  implementation  plan.  The  board  of  trustees  shall
 prepare,  review  and approve and submit to the county executive the SWP
 implementation plan within one  year  of  the  effective  date  of  this
 section,  and in every five years thereafter in a like manner. The board
 of trustees shall conduct a public  hearing  on  said  plan  before  its
 adoption or subsequent amendment. Said plan shall list every water qual-
 ity  restoration project which the county plans to undertake pursuant to
 the fund and shall state how such project would improve  existing  water
 quality.  Funds  may  only  be  expended  pursuant to this   section for
 projects which have been included in  said  plan.  Said  plan  shall  be
 consistent  with  state,  federal, county, and local government land use
 and wastewater management plans. After submission and  approval  by  the
 county  executive,  such  plan shall be submitted to the county legisla-
 ture.  Upon review, the county legislature  shall  determine,  by  local
 law,  whether  to  approve the proposed plan, if the plan is denied, the
 plan shall be remanded to the board of trustees for further study.  Such
 plan shall not become effective until approved by  local  law.  Projects
 may  be added or removed from the currently effective SWP implementation
 plan in a like manner.
   (e) Annual audit. The county shall annually commission an  independent
 audit of the fund. The audit shall be conducted by an independent certi-
 fied public accountant or an independent public accountant.  [Said] SUCH
 audit  shall  be  performed by a certified public accountant or an inde-
 pendent public accountant other than the one that performs  the  general
 audit  of  the  county's finances. Such audit shall be an examination of
 the fund and shall determine whether  the  fund  has  been  administered
 consistent  with the provisions of this section and all other applicable
 provisions of state law. Said audit shall be initiated within sixty days
 of the close of the fiscal year of the county  and  shall  be  completed
 within  one hundred twenty days of the close of the fiscal year.  A copy
 of the audit shall be submitted annually to the  state  comptroller  and
 the  county  comptroller. A copy of the audit shall be made available to
 the public within thirty  days  of  its  completion.  A  notice  of  the
 completion  of the audit shall be published in the official newspaper of
 the county and shall also be posted on  the  internet  website  for  the
 county. The cost of the audit may be a charge to the fund.
   (f)  Annual  report.  In addition to any other report required by this
 section, the board of trustees, through its chairperson,  shall  deliver
 annually  a  report to   the   county legislature.  Such report shall be
 presented by May fifteenth of each year. The report  shall  describe  in
 detail the projects undertaken, the monies expended, and the administra-
 tive  activities  of  the water quality fund and district established in
 accordance with this section, during the prior year. At  the  conclusion
 of  the  report,  the  chairperson  of  the  board  of trustees shall be
 prepared to answer the questions of the county legislature with  respect
 to  the projects undertaken, the monies expended, and the administrative
 activities during the past year. ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREPARING THE
 ANNUAL REPORT SHALL BE A CHARGE TO THE FUND.
 A. 8993                             6
 
   § 3. Subdivision (d) of section 1210-A of the tax law, as  amended  by
 section  4-a of part TT of chapter 58 of the laws of 2023, is amended to
 read as follows:
   (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contra-
 ry, the net collections from the tax imposed pursuant to subdivision (a)
 of  this  section  for  the  period  beginning  December first, nineteen
 hundred eighty-eight and ending November thirtieth, two  thousand  sixty
 shall,  upon payment to the county of Suffolk, be deposited in a special
 fund, to be designated as a drinking water protection reserve  fund,  to
 be  created  by  said  county therefor separate and apart from any other
 funds and accounts of the county. Moneys in such fund shall be deposited
 in one or more of the banks or trust companies designated, in the manner
 provided by law, as a depository of the funds of  such  county.  Pending
 expenditure from such fund, moneys therein may be invested in the manner
 provided  in  section  eleven of the general municipal law. Any interest
 earned or capital gain realized on the moneys so deposited  or  invested
 shall accrue to and become part of such fund. Moneys in said fund may be
 appropriated from and transferred to or expended in any fiscal year only
 for the purposes of making payments pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c)
 of  this  section  for  the  period  beginning  December first, nineteen
 hundred eighty-eight, to the extent that moneys in said fund are remain-
 ing, and if authorized by local law, for the following purposes:
   (i) for the purposes of specific environmental protection (acquisition
 of: farmland development rights; open space, wetlands,  woodlands,  pine
 barrens  and other lands for passive recreational uses; lands for hamlet
 greens, hamlet parks, pocket parks, historic parks, cultural  parks  and
 other  lands  for active/parkland recreational uses; lands necessary for
 maintaining and protecting the quality of surface water, groundwater and
 coastal resources);
   (ii) for  a  water  quality  protection  and  restoration  program  or
 programs and land stewardship initiatives;
   (iii) for the purposes of county-wide property tax protection; and
   (iv)  for  the  purpose  of  sewer taxpayer protection (25% OF THE NET
 COLLECTIONS FROM THE TAX). BEGINNING WITH THE FIRST  FISCAL  YEAR  AFTER
 THE ADOPTION OF THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION FUND, A PORTION OF THE NET
 COLLECTIONS  OF  SUCH  TAX  APPORTIONED FOR THIS PURPOSE AS PROVIDED FOR
 HEREIN, SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO  THE  WATER  QUALITY  RESTORATION  FUND,
 ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ELEVEN  OF  SECTION  TWO HUNDRED
 FIFTY-SIX-B OF THE COUNTY LAW. SAID REVENUES SHALL BE  DEDICATED  SOLELY
 TO FUNDING INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC SYSTEM PROJECTS AS DEFINED IN SUCH SUBDIVI-
 SION. THE PORTION OF NET COLLECTIONS OF THE TAX TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER
 QUALITY RESTORATION FUND EACH YEAR SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:
 
 YEAR                                                   PERCENTAGE
 1                                                          5%
 2                                                          5%
 3                                                          5%
 4                                                          5%
 5                                                         20%
 6                                                         30%
 7                                                         40%
 8                                                         50%
 9                                                         70%
 10                                                        70%
 A. 8993                             7
 
 FOR  ALL SUBSEQUENT YEARS, THE PORTION OF NET COLLECTIONS TRANSFERRED TO
 THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION FUND SHALL BE FIFTY PERCENT.
   Notwithstanding  any  special  or  local  law,  resolution  or charter
 provision to the contrary, moneys in  said  fund  which  have  not  been
 appropriated  from and transferred to or expended in any fiscal year for
 the purposes of making payments pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c)  of
 this  section,  may  alternatively  be  appropriated for the purposes of
 paying debt service on any new indebtedness incurred after the effective
 date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand one  that  enacted  this
 paragraph  pursuant  to the local finance law in order to effectuate the
 purposes described in paragraph (i) or (ii) of this subdivision. For the
 purpose of allocating moneys in said fund pursuant to  local  law  among
 the  purposes  described in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this
 subdivision, moneys applied to the payment of  debt  service  under  the
 authority of the previous sentence shall be considered by said county to
 have  been  expended  for  the  purposes for which such indebtedness was
 incurred.
   § 4. After January 1, 2030, the Suffolk county executive shall prepare
 a report to be submitted to the governor  and  the  legislature.    Such
 report  shall  make  recommendations regarding any modifications to this
 act, if any, with regard to the future distribution of revenue for water
 quality improvement projects based upon the future  demand  for  funding
 for wastewater treatment projects and individual septic system projects.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.