Harckham, Mayer and Advocates Announce Climate Resilience Bill

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham, along with State Senator Shelley B. Mayer and environmental advocates, announced new legislation today—the Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025 (S.3590)—that will establish an Office of Resilience and a resilience task force to assess and identify climate-related threats and develop a statewide resilience plan.

“The climate crisis is taking place here in New York right now, and it is costing us more every day,” said Senator Harckham. “That’s why we need to act now before it’s too late. This new legislation will help identify areas in New York that need resiliency infrastructure and climate mitigation efforts, allowing us to partner with our local communities to address the climate crisis head on. And in building more climate resilient communities, we can ensure the health and safety of residents, create good green jobs, and protect the environment.”

“I am proud to join Senator Pete Harckham to announce the Climate Resilience Act, which would establish the Office of Resilience,” said Senator Mayer. “Flooding and climate change-related disasters are some of the most pressing issues facing our state. New York, particularly my home of Westchester, has been devastated by intense and frequent storms and hurricanes. Many families I represent have lost their homes, belongings, and even family members.”

Added Mayer, “While I appreciate that my office has been able to help many neighbors rebuild their homes and recover, we need a strong, coordinated approach to address climate change effects, and we must act now. I have been advocating for several years for a cabinet-level officer to focus on flooding issues in our communities—and I want to thank Senator Harckham for his collaboration to ensure these issues are comprehensively addressed by his legislation and for his leadership on climate resilience more broadly.”

The press conference, which took place in the State Capitol, included participants from the Environmental Defense Fund, Waterfront Alliance, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Save the Sound, Riverkeeper, Climate Reality Project, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Regional Plan Association, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, American Lung Association, Radix—Rise for Resilience Coalition and Sustainable Hudson Valley. 

Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, who was unable to attend the press conference, is introducing the legislation in the Assembly.

New York is on the frontlines of climate change, with flooding and extreme heat events becoming more frequent. Devastating climate-related disasters have cost lives and billions of dollars in damage, leaving communities trapped in a cycle of temporary fixes rather than lasting solutions. In just a 10-year period between 2011-2021, in fact, New York had 16 climate disaster declarations with a per capita spending of $1,348 on recovering from those disasters, the second highest in the country. 

New York State has established itself as a leader with a clear plan for reducing greenhouse gases and making critical investments to combat climate change, demonstrated by the implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA) and the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act in 2022. And yet, the state lacks coordinated governance and planning to take on the impacts that New Yorkers already face today. 

The Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025 will establish a coordinated strategy with the exact actions and measurable targets necessary toward reducing the risks we face from flooding and extreme heat. Simply, New York can’t wait any longer to prepare for the climate impacts we already face today.

Kate Boicourt, Director of Climate Resilient Coasts and Watershed of the Environmental Defense Fund, said, “Time and again, New York’s every single town and city has experienced the devastating consequences from extreme heat, flooding, drought, and other impacts of climate change. We need to act now. Environmental Defense Fund thanks Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Pheffer Amato for their leadership on the Climate Resilient New York Act. The bill charts a path for how we can address these issues together and build resilience in every community across the state so that our homes, transportation systems, natural resources, people, and economy are safer and stronger.”

Cortney Koenig Worrall, President and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance, said, “New York’s vast coastal and inland landscapes remain highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. Already, every county across the state has experienced a climate disaster declaration in the last decade. Across the nation, nearly 20 states have developed a statewide climate resilience plan, and another five states have plans underway. The Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025 would at long last establish an Office of Resilience and Chief Resilience Officer, made permanent across administrations, and require the development of a statewide climate resilience plan. Waterfront Alliance and 36 partner organizations in the Rise to Resilience Coalition are proud to support Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Amato’s legislation, which will protect New York, its economy, and prepare for a climate resilient future.”

Jeremy Cherson, Associate Director of Government Affairs of Riverkeeper, said, “Riverkeeper strongly supports the Climate Resilient New York Act, which is a critical step in preparing our state for extreme weather and coordinating state agencies to ensure the resilience of both the public and our natural resources,” said Jeremy Cherson, Associate Director of Government Affairs for Riverkeeper. “We thank Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Pheffer Amato for their leadership on this important issue and urge lawmakers to support this bill to help make New York safer and stronger, particularly as the federal government retreats from this responsibility."  

Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation Program Manager of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, said, “In the past few years alone, New York State has been pounded by superstorms, deluged with floods and scorched with record heat due to the advancing severity of the climate crisis. This has translated into residents drowning in their own homes, roadways and bridges washed away, and property destruction on an unprecedented scale. While every state agency, authority and municipality have the responsibility to plan for climate change, compliance and coordination has been inconsistent and the public has suffered as a result. The Sierra Club applauds Senator Harckham for advancing the Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025 which will streamline New York’s climate response, and ensure that all public entities are working together for the safest and most cost effective outcomes.”

David Ansel, Vice President of Water Protection of Save the Sound, said, “Climate Change is having devastating effects in the Long Island Sound region and across New York State. The frequency and severity of rain events are creating water pollution that is overwhelming our inadequate and outdated wastewater infrastructure and creating more stormwater pollution and flooding—all of which is harming residents, property, water quality and precious habitat statewide. We applaud Senator Harckham for introducing the Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025, which, when enacted, will provide a roadmap for the resiliency planning necessary to address these threats in New York. Since leadership in Washington D.C. is ignoring these serious challenges, it is more important than ever for New York to lead on climate resilience planning and investment.”

To see a video of today’s press conference, click here.