Bill Text: NY S00660 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Relates to the use of native pollinator friendly plant species in medians along the highways of the state.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-12-23 - SIGNED CHAP.763 [S00660 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S00660-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         660--A
            Cal. No. 234

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  MAY, BIAGGI, KAVANAGH, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO -- read
          twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
          Committee  on Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on Trans-
          portation in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favora-
          bly from said committee, ordered to first and second  report,  ordered
          to  a  third  reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly,
          recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third  reading,  amended  and
          ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

        AN  ACT  to  amend the highway law, in relation to the use of pollinator
          friendly plant species in medians along the highways of the state

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

     1    Section 1.  The highway law is amended by adding a new section 19-a to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  19-a.  Pollinator  friendly plant species; medians. 1.  The commis-
     4  sioner shall,  in  cooperation  with  the  department  of  environmental
     5  conservation,  develop  policies  and procedures to encourage the use of
     6  native plant species that are pollinator friendly in medians along high-
     7  ways under the jurisdiction of  the  department  and  to  encourage  and
     8  provide  technical assistance to counties, cities, towns and villages in
     9  the use of native plant species that are pollinator friendly in  medians
    10  along  highways  under  the  respective  jurisdiction  of such counties,
    11  cities, towns and villages.
    12    2. The commissioner shall develop policies and procedures  for  mowing
    13  medians  located  along  highways  on  the state system of highways that
    14  will, wherever feasible and consistent  with  standards  of  safety  for
    15  motor vehicle operators, cyclists, and pedestrians, reduce the amount of
    16  area within such highway medians that is mowed.
    17    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    18  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    19  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    20  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
    21  completed on or before such date.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04739-05-2