Bill Text: NY A09057 | 2021-2022 | 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 9-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-31 - referred to environmental conservation [A09057 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A09057-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9057

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 31, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee
          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.
                                                                   LBD03117-02-1