S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    542
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
   university  of  the  state  of  New  York environmental sustainability
   office

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 235-c
 to read as follows:
   § 235-C. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE.  1.  THE  REGENTS  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  AN  ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY
 OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO LEAD THE COORDINATION, PLANNING  AND  IMPLE-
 MENTATION  OF POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROCESSES TO FULFILL THE UNIVERSI-
 TY'S SUSTAINABILITY  OBLIGATIONS  AND  TARGETS  COHESIVELY,  ACROSS  ALL
 UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, AND AT THE SYSTEM LEVEL. SUSTAINABILITY OBLIGATIONS
 INCLUDE,  BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, REDUCTION IN ENERGY USE, PREVENTION OF
 WASTE AND ACHIEVING MATERIAL CIRCULARITY,  CARBON  EMISSIONS  REDUCTION,
 SOCIAL  EQUITY  AND  JUSTICE,  AND  ENGAGEMENT  AND  OUTREACH STRATEGIES
 INCLUDED WITHIN THESE AND OTHER SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS.
   2. THE HEAD OF THE OFFICE  SHALL  BE  THE  DIRECTOR  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
 SUSTAINABILITY  WHO  SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  REGENTS AND HAVE THE
 FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES:
   A. LEAD INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING TO  FULFILL  UNIVERSITY  SUSTAINABILITY
 COMMITMENTS  AND  REPRESENT  THE  UNIVERSITY'S  SUSTAINABILITY  GOALS IN
 SYSTEM-WIDE AND CAMPUS LEVEL PLANNING.
   B. SET CONSISTENT SUSTAINABILITY  STANDARDS,  ACROSS  A  MULTITUDE  OF
 RELATED  FOCUS  AREAS, SYSTEM-WIDE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SYSTEM
 AND CAMPUS LEVEL CLEAN ENERGY MASTER PLANS AND  ZERO  WASTE  CIRCULARITY
 PLANS.
   C.  LEVERAGE  EXPERTISE  AVAILABLE ACROSS UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES TO PILOT
 AND ELEVATE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND RESEARCH.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02228-01-3
              

 S. 542                              2
 
   D. CLOSELY COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS  ACROSS  STATE
 AGENCIES  TO  ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ALIGNMENT AND FEASIBIL-
 ITY.
   E.  SERVE  ON STATE AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES INVOLVED IN CREATING POLI-
 CIES AND MAKING DECISIONS CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY.
   F.  FURTHER  THE  UNIVERSITY'S  INVESTMENT  IN  SUSTAINABILITY  ACROSS
 CAMPUSES SO AS TO MAXIMIZE ITS RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WHILE ACHIEVING THE
 UNIVERSITY'S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS.
   G.  DEVELOP  METHODS  AND PROCESSES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOP
 AND EVALUATE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY.
   H. ASSIST THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES, AND  OTHER  RELEVANT  STAKE-
 HOLDERS,  IN  PROCUREMENT  OF  COMMODITIES AND SERVICES THAT ADVANCE THE
 UNIVERSITY'S MISSION, WHILE ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS,  AND  ENSURE
 THAT  SUSTAINABILITY  IS  A KEY COMPONENT IN THE PROCUREMENT OF SERVICES
 AND PRODUCTS.
   I. DIRECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE BY SETTING  PERFORM-
 ANCE  GOALS  PRIORITIZING  RESPONSIBILITIES,  DEVELOPING WORK PROCESSES,
 SUPERVISING STAFF, CREATING A REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES, AND MANAGING  THE
 BUDGET OF THE OFFICE.
   J.  PROVIDE  EXPERTISE TO CAMPUSES IN NEED OF DIRECTION AND SUPPORT IN
 PURSUING  SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED  PROJECTS  AND  PROGRAMS,  AND  DELIVER
 OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND TRAINING TO CAMPUSES.
   K. GUIDE SUSTAINABILITY MEASUREMENT AND DATA ANALYSIS AT THE UNIVERSI-
 TY  SYSTEM  AND  CAMPUS  LEVELS.  THE DIRECTOR SHALL LEAD SUSTAINABILITY
 PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND ADVISE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE INDI-
 CATORS ON SYSTEM-WIDE AND ON CAMPUSES TO MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS.
   L. ORIGINATE INNOVATIVE FISCAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS AND EVALU-
 ATE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM,  AND
 SEEK  EXTERNAL FUNDING AND RESOURCES THROUGH ADVANCEMENT, GRANT WRITING,
 AND PARTNERSHIPS.
   M.  DEVELOP  PROCESSES  FOR  CAMPUS  SUSTAINABILITY  FUNDS,  INCLUDING
 PROJECT  FEASIBILITY, BUDGETING, AND MONITORING PROGRESS, AND MANAGE THE
 FISCAL SOLVENCY OF SUCH SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS.
   N. OVERSEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION  IN  SUSTAINABILITY
 INITIATIVES  THROUGH  INTERNSHIPS  AND  VOLUNTEER  SERVICE,  AND FURTHER
 CURRICULAR INNOVATION AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS.
   O. COOPERATE WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES, STATE AND  LOCAL  AGENCIES,  AND
 NONPROFITS  THAT ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY,
 AND INTERNATIONALLY TO FURTHER THE UNIVERSITY'S LEADERSHIP  AND  ADVANCE
 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY EXTERNALLY.
   P. PERFORM OTHER RELATED DUTIES AND SPECIAL PROJECTS.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.