Bill Text: NY A07924 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares a policy of equal treatment of people of all races, cultures, religions, incomes, education levels, disabilities, gender identity/expression and sexual preference in the development and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-03 - referred to environmental conservation [A07924 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A07924-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7924

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     August 4, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, L. ROSENTHAL, THIELE, BURDICK, DINOWITZ,
          SEAWRIGHT, DICKENS, SILLITTI -- read once and referred to the  Commit-
          tee on Environmental Conservation

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
          declaring a policy of equal treatment in the development and  enforce-
          ment of environmental laws, regulations and policies

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

     1    Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 1-0101 of
     2  the environmental conservation law is designated paragraph a and  a  new
     3  paragraph b is added to read as follows:
     4    b.  It is further the policy of the state of New York that all people,
     5  regardless of race, culture, national origin, income, gender identity or
     6  expression, disability, or community  of  residence,  shall  be  treated
     7  equally  with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement
     8  of environmental laws, regulations and policies. It is a basic right  of
     9  all  New  Yorkers  to  live  and work in safe, healthful, productive and
    10  aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings. This policy of envi-
    11  ronmental justice is based on the concept of fundamental  fairness  that
    12  all  people should be free from any disproportionate exposure or risk of
    13  exposure to pollution, and from the cumulative negative impacts  result-
    14  ing  from the disparate concentration of polluted sites or environmental
    15  facilities licensed, regulated or approved by state agencies, nor should
    16  people be deprived of locally accessible open space  or  other  environ-
    17  mental benefits due to lack of political or economic strength.
    18    §  2.  The opening paragraph of subdivision 3 of section 1-0101 of the
    19  environmental conservation law is amended to read as follows:
    20    It shall further be the policy of the state to foster, promote, create
    21  and maintain conditions under which [man] people and nature  can  thrive
    22  in  harmony with each other, and achieve social, economic and technolog-
    23  ical progress for present and future generations by:
    24    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09801-01-3