NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2285

Senate Bill S2285

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes composting programs at state university of New York and city university of New York campuses

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 16, 2025	referred to higher education

co-Sponsors

2025-S2285 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§355 & 6206, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S5713

2025-S2285 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the establishment of a composting program at the state university of New York, the city university of New York and institutions subject to the jurisdiction of SUNY or CUNY.

2025-S2285 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2285

SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing compost-
ing programs at state university of New York and city university of New
York campuses

 
PURPOSE::

To promote the establishment of composting programs at SUNY and CUNY
campuses.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::

Section 1 amends section 355 of the education law by adding a new subdi-
vision 22 requiring the SUNY Board of Trustees to adopt a policy requir-
ing that each SUNY institution collaborate with students, faculty, and
staff to encourage campuses to establish composting programs.

Section 2 amends section 6206 of the education law by adding a new

subdivision 23 requiring the CUNY Board of Trustees to adopt a policy
requiring that each CUNY institution collaborate with students, faculty,
and staff to encourage campuses to establish composting programs.

Section 3 sets the effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Across multiple layers of government in New York State, in state agen-
cies, climate councils, and legislation, we acknowledge that composting
is one of the single most important tools to reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions. Composted organic waste can be used for renewable energy, or
turned into soil, and is far more useful to the state than when it sits
in a landfill emitting methane, which is 25 times more potent than
carbon.

Large scale composting can be easily promoted by establishing composting
programs within the SUNY and CUNY systems. According to the Food Recov-
ery Network, college campuses in the United States produce 22 million
pounds of food waste each year.

Additionally, in order to preserve the beauty of our campuses, landscape
maintenance produces massive amounts of lawn clippings and yard waste.
This legislation is an important step towards ensuring that organic
waste is being disposed of responsibly, and that our state funded higher
education institutions are actively fighting against climate change.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE::

This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S2285 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2285
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. WEBB, HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Educa-
   tion
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing compost-
   ing programs at state university of New York and  city  university  of
   New York campuses

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT A POLICY REQUIRING  THAT
 EACH  INSTITUTION  OF  THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLABORATE WITH
 STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF TO ENCOURAGE CAMPUSES TO ESTABLISH  COMPOST-
 ING  PROGRAMS.   COMPOSTABLE WASTE MAY INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, FOOD SCRAPS, PLANT  TRIMMINGS,  FOOD  SOILED  PAPER,  AND  CERTIFIED
 COMPOSTABLE PRODUCTS.  IN ESTABLISHING SUCH A POLICY, THE TRUSTEES SHALL
 CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
   A. PROVIDING INFORMATION AND SIGNAGE RELATED TO THE PROPER METHODS FOR
 SEPARATING COMPOSTABLE WASTE;
   B.  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF  SERVICES  FOR  COLLECTING  AND TRANSPORTING
 COMPOSTABLE WASTE;
   C.  AN  EVALUATION  OF  THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  CAMPUSES'   COMPOSTING
 PROGRAMS; AND
   D. BENCHMARKS FOR ASSESSING PROGRESS.
   §  2.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 24 to read as follows:
   24. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT A  POLICY  REQUIRING  THAT  EACH
 INSTITUTION  OF  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK  COLLABORATE  WITH
 STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF TO ENCOURAGE CAMPUSES TO ESTABLISH  COMPOST-
 ING  PROGRAMS.   COMPOSTABLE WASTE MAY INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, FOOD SCRAPS, PLANT TRIMMINGS, FOOD  SOILED  PAPER,    AND  CERTIFIED

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01870-01-5

 S. 2285                             2
 
 COMPOSTABLE PRODUCTS.  IN ESTABLISHING SUCH A POLICY, THE TRUSTEES SHALL
 CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
   A.    PROVIDING  INFORMATION AND SIGNAGE RELATED TO THE PROPER METHODS
 FOR SEPARATING COMPOSTABLE WASTE;
   B. THE  AVAILABILITY  OF  SERVICES  FOR  COLLECTING  AND  TRANSPORTING
 COMPOSTABLE WASTE;
   C.   AN  EVALUATION  OF  THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  CAMPUSES'  COMPOSTING
 PROGRAMS; AND
   D. BENCHMARKS FOR ASSESSING PROGRESS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S2285

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Sponsored By

Lea Webb