Bill Text: NY A02379 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes state and municipal composting programs; requires all state and municipal agencies to establish a composting program in buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies; allows such agencies to arrange for collection of compostable waste by a private carter, transport such waste itself or process such waste on-site; requires reports on the costs and effectiveness of such programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-16 - referred to environmental conservation [A02379 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A02379-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2379

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 16, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. EPSTEIN, KELLES, RAGA, CUNNINGHAM, LEVENBERG,
          GIBBS, REYES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once  and
          referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
          establishing state and municipal composting programs

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
     2  by adding a new title 34 to read as follows:
     3                                  TITLE 34
     4                   STATE AND MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
     5  Section 27-3401. State and municipal composting programs.
     6  § 27-3401. State and municipal composting programs.
     7    1.  For  the  purposes of this section, the following terms shall have
     8  the following meanings:
     9    (a) "agency" means  any  department,  agency,  board,  public  benefit
    10  corporation, public authority, or commission;
    11    (b)  "compostable"  means  all  the  materials in the product will (i)
    12  undergo degradation by biological processes during composting  to  yield
    13  carbon  dioxide,  water,  inorganic  compounds,  and  biomass  at a rate
    14  consistent with other known compostable materials;  and  (ii)  leave  no
    15  visible,  distinguishable  or toxic residue, including no adverse impact
    16  on the ability of composts to support plant  growth  once  the  finished
    17  compost is placed in soil; and
    18    (c) "municipal" means a village, town, city, or county.
    19    2.  Beginning  one  year after the effective date of this section, all
    20  state and municipal agencies shall establish  a  composting  program  in
    21  buildings  owned, occupied or operated by such agencies that shall, at a
    22  minimum:
    23    (a) require that all compostable waste including but  not  limited  to
    24  food  scraps, plant trimmings, food-soiled paper and certified composta-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04338-01-5
        A. 2379                             2

     1  ble products from garbage and other recyclables be separated and  placed
     2  in labeled containers;
     3    (b) post and maintain signs with instructions on identifying and sepa-
     4  rating compostable waste from garbage and recyclables;
     5    (c)  ensure  agency employees place compostable waste in appropriately
     6  labeled containers and do not mix such waste with  garbage  or  recycla-
     7  bles;
     8    (d)  ensure  containers are latched at the time of storage or set-out;
     9  and
    10    (e) arrange for compostable waste to be transported  and/or  processed
    11  separately from garbage and recycling.
    12    3.  Each  state  and  municipal  agency  may arrange for collection of
    13  compostable waste by a private carter, transport such  waste  itself  or
    14  process such waste on-site.
    15    4.  Beginning one year after the establishment of the program pursuant
    16  to subdivision two of this section, and annually thereafter, each  state
    17  and  municipal  agency  shall  report to the department on such program,
    18  including, but not limited  to  (i)  the  amount  of  compostable  waste
    19  collected; and (ii) the costs associated with such program.
    20    5.  By  December first, two thousand twenty-seven, and annually there-
    21  after, the department shall post a report on its website detailing agen-
    22  cy composting programs in the state. Such report shall include an evalu-
    23  ation of the effectiveness of such composting programs, and  information
    24  on costs and collection rates.
    25    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.