Bill Text: NY A07491 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to prevailing wage requirements applicable to brownfield remediation work performed under private contract as it relates to certain remediation activities, for sites that are seeking or have received a determination that the site is eligible for the tangible property credit component of the brownfield redevelopment tax credit, and the work is paid for in whole or in part by public funds.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 28-4)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-04 - substituted by s5868b [A07491 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A07491-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7491--B

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      May 25, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. BRONSON, CARROLL, SHRESTHA, LUNSFORD, WOERNER,
          REYES, GUNTHER, AUBRY, SEAWRIGHT, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, WILLIAMS,  RAMOS,
          BURDICK,  EPSTEIN,  BRABENEC, K. BROWN, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, MAHER, SIMONE,
          MAMDANI, COLTON, McMAHON, KELLES, CLARK,  GALLAGHER,  BURGOS,  DAVILA,
          BORES, ROZIC, OTIS, BLUMENCRANZ, RAGA -- read once and referred to the
          Committee  on Environmental Conservation -- recommitted to the Commit-
          tee on Environmental Conservation in accordance with Assembly Rule  3,
          sec.  2  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported and referred  to
          the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law and the labor law, in
          relation  to  prevailing  wage  requirements  applicable to brownfield
          remediation work performed under private contract

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

     1    Section 1. The closing paragraph of subdivision 1-a of section 27-1407
     2  of  the environmental conservation law, as added by section 3 of part BB
     3  of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
     4    Sites are not eligible for tangible property tax credits if:  (a)  the
     5  contamination  from  ground water or soil vapor is solely emanating from
     6  property other than the site subject to the present application; or  (b)
     7  the  department  has  determined  that  the property has previously been
     8  remediated pursuant to titles nine, thirteen and fourteen of this  arti-
     9  cle,  title five of article fifty-six of this chapter and article twelve
    10  of the navigation law such  that  it  may  be  developed  for  its  then
    11  intended  use; or (c) not in compliance with section two hundred twenty-
    12  four-g of the labor law.
    13    § 2. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subdivision 8 of section 27-1407 of the
    14  environmental conservation law, as amended by section 3  of  part  A  of

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10107-09-4

        A. 7491--B                          2

     1  chapter  577 of the laws of 2004, are amended and a new paragraph (e) is
     2  added to read as follows:
     3    (c)  there  is  an  order providing for the investigation, removal, or
     4  remediation of contamination relating to the brownfield site against the
     5  person who is requesting participation; [or]
     6    (d) [The]  the  person  requesting  participation  is  subject  to  an
     7  outstanding claim as provided in subdivision four of this section[.]; or
     8    (e)  the  person requesting participation does not demonstrate compli-
     9  ance with section two hundred twenty-four-g of the labor law.
    10    § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 27-1409 of the  environmental  conserva-
    11  tion  law,  as amended by section 4 of part A of chapter 577 of the laws
    12  of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
    13    5. One authorizing the  department  to  terminate  a  brownfield  site
    14  cleanup  agreement  at any time during the implementation of such agree-
    15  ment if the applicant implementing such agreement fails to substantially
    16  comply  with  such  agreement's  terms  and  conditions,  including  the
    17  prevailing wage requirements of section two hundred twenty-four-g of the
    18  labor law;
    19    § 4. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 224-g to read as
    20  follows:
    21    § 224-g. Prevailing wage requirements applicable to brownfield remedi-
    22  ation   work  performed  under  private  contract.  1.  Subject  to  the
    23  provisions of this section, covered brownfield remediation work shall be
    24  subject to prevailing wage requirements in accordance with sections  two
    25  hundred twenty and two hundred twenty-b of this article as it relates to
    26  the  following  remediation  activities: (a) all construction activities
    27  including without limitation grading, contouring,  trenching,  grouting,
    28  capping, excavating, incinerating, thermally treating, chemically treat-
    29  ing,  biologically treating, constructing leachate collection and treat-
    30  ment systems or application of innovative technologies approved  by  the
    31  department;  (b)  interim  remedial measures; and (c) restoration of the
    32  environment.  Remediation activities which are as defined  in  paragraph
    33  (a), (b), (e), (g), or (h) of subdivision five of section 27-1405 of the
    34  environmental  conservation law  shall not be subject to prevailing wage
    35  requirements in accordance with this section.
    36    2. A project shall be deemed a "covered brownfield  remediation  work"
    37  where:  (a) the site is seeking or has received a determination that the
    38  site is eligible for the  tangible  property  credit  component  of  the
    39  brownfield  redevelopment  tax  credit  pursuant  to  paragraph three of
    40  subdivision (a) of section twenty-one of the tax law; and (b) where  the
    41  work  is  paid for in whole or in part by public funds, where the amount
    42  of all such public funds, when aggregated, is at least thirty percent of
    43  the total construction project costs and where such  project  costs  are
    44  over five million dollars.
    45    3. (a) For purposes of this section, "paid for in whole or in part out
    46  of public funds" shall mean any of the following:
    47    (i)  The payment of money, by a public entity, or a third party acting
    48  on behalf of and for the benefit of a public entity, directly to  or  on
    49  behalf  of the contractor, subcontractor, developer or owner that is not
    50  subject to repayment;
    51    (ii) The savings achieved from fees, rents, interest rates,  or  other
    52  loan  costs,  or  insurance costs that are lower than market rate costs;
    53  savings from reduced taxes as a result of tax credits,  tax  abatements,
    54  tax exemptions or tax increment financing; savings from payments in lieu
    55  of  taxes; and any other savings from reduced, waived, or forgiven costs

        A. 7491--B                          3

     1  that would have otherwise been at a higher or market rate except for the
     2  involvement of the public entity;
     3    (iii)  Money  loaned  by  the  public entity that is to be repaid on a
     4  contingent basis;
     5    (iv) Credits that are applied by the public entity  against  repayment
     6  of obligations to the public entity; or
     7    (v)  Benefits  under  section  four  hundred sixty-seven-m of the real
     8  property tax law.
     9    (b) For purposes of this section, "public entity" shall  include,  but
    10  shall  not  be limited to, the state, a local development corporation as
    11  defined in subdivision eight of section  eighteen  hundred  one  of  the
    12  public  authorities  law  or section fourteen hundred eleven of the not-
    13  for-profit corporation  law,  a  municipal  corporation  as  defined  in
    14  section  one  hundred nineteen-n of the general municipal law, an indus-
    15  trial development agency formed pursuant to article  eighteen-A  of  the
    16  general  municipal  law  or  industrial  development  authorities formed
    17  pursuant to article eight of the public authorities law, and any  state,
    18  local  or  interstate or international authorities as defined in section
    19  two of the public authorities law; and shall include any  trust  created
    20  by any such entities.
    21    4.  For purposes of this section "covered brownfield remediation work"
    22  shall not include the following: (a) Construction work performed under a
    23  pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between an owner or  contractor
    24  and a bona fide building and construction trade labor organization which
    25  has  established  itself as the collective bargaining representative for
    26  all persons who will perform work on such a project, and which  provides
    27  that  only  contractors  and  subcontractors  who  sign a pre-negotiated
    28  agreement with the  labor  organization  can  perform  work  on  such  a
    29  project,  or  construction work performed under a labor peace agreement,
    30  project labor agreement, or any other construction work performed  under
    31  an  enforceable agreement between an owner or contractor and a bona fide
    32  building and construction trade labor organization; or
    33    (b) an affordable housing project as defined  in  subdivision  twenty-
    34  nine of section 27-1405 of the environmental conservation law.
    35    5.  Upon  request of the commissioner, the department of environmental
    36  conservation   shall   provide   site   information,   including   total
    37  construction project costs and project costs, to the commissioner.
    38    6.  For purposes of this section, the "fiscal officer" shall be deemed
    39  to be the commissioner. The enforcement of any covered brownfield  reme-
    40  diation  work  pursuant to this section shall be subject to the require-
    41  ments of sections two hundred twenty, two hundred twenty-a, two  hundred
    42  twenty-b,  two  hundred  twenty-i, two hundred twenty-three, two hundred
    43  twenty-four-b, and two hundred twenty-seven of this chapter  and  within
    44  the  jurisdiction  of  the  fiscal  officer;  provided, however, nothing
    45  contained in this section shall be deemed to construe any covered brown-
    46  field remediation work as otherwise being considered public work  pursu-
    47  ant to this article.
    48    7.  The  fiscal  officer may issue rules and regulations governing the
    49  provisions of this section. Violations of this section shall be  grounds
    50  for  determinations  and orders pursuant to section two hundred twenty-b
    51  of this article.
    52    8. Each owner and  developer  subject  to  the  requirements  of  this
    53  section shall comply with the objectives and goals of certified minority
    54  and  women-owned  business  enterprises pursuant to article fifteen-A of
    55  the executive law and  certified  service-disabled  veteran-owned  busi-
    56  nesses  pursuant  to  article  three  of the veterans' services law. The

        A. 7491--B                          4

     1  department in consultation with the  commissioner  of  the  division  of
     2  minority  and women's business development and the director of the divi-
     3  sion of  service-disabled  veterans'  business  development  shall  make
     4  training  and  resources  available  to  assist minority and women-owned
     5  business enterprises and service-disabled veteran-owned business  enter-
     6  prises  on  covered  brownfield remediation work to achieve and maintain
     7  compliance with prevailing wage requirements. The department shall  make
     8  such  training  and resources available online and shall afford minority
     9  and women-owned business enterprises and service-disabled  veteran-owned
    10  business enterprises an opportunity to submit comments on such training.
    11    9.  (a) The fiscal officer shall report to the governor, the temporary
    12  president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly by July  first,
    13  two  thousand twenty-five, and annually thereafter, on the participation
    14  of minority and women-owned business enterprises in relation to  covered
    15  brownfield remediation work subject to the provisions of this section as
    16  well  as  the  diversity  practices  of  contractors  and subcontractors
    17  employing laborers, workers, and mechanics on such projects.
    18    (b) Such reports shall include aggregated data on the utilization  and
    19  participation  of  minority  and  women-owned  business enterprises, the
    20  employment of minorities and women in construction-related jobs on  such
    21  projects,  and  the commitment of contractors and subcontractors on such
    22  projects to adopting practices and policies that promote diversity with-
    23  in the workforce. The reports  shall  also  examine  the  compliance  of
    24  contractors  and  subcontractors with other equal employment opportunity
    25  requirements and anti-discrimination laws,  in  addition  to  any  other
    26  employment practices deemed pertinent by the commissioner.
    27    (c)  The fiscal officer may require any owner or developer to disclose
    28  information on the participation of minority  and  women-owned  business
    29  enterprises  and  the diversity practices of contractors and subcontrac-
    30  tors involved in the performance of any covered  brownfield  remediation
    31  work.    It  shall  be  the duty of the fiscal officer to consult and to
    32  share such information in order to effectuate the requirements  of  this
    33  section.
    34    §  5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    35  ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to  all
    36  requests  for  participation received pursuant to section 27-1407 of the
    37  environmental conservation law received on or after such date.
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