BILL NUMBER: S600A
SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, the general city law, the
town law, and the village law, in relation to requiring certain munici-
pal planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to receive environ-
mentally conscious planning training
 
PURPOSE:
To make environmental concerns a core principle of planning and zoning
for localities by requiring planning and zoning training for board
members to include environmentally conscious training.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 239-C of the general municipal law to require
each member of a county planning board to receive at least one hour of
training on environmentally conscious planning.
Section two amends section 27 of the general city taw to require each
member of a city planning board, except New York City, to receive at
least one hour of training on environmentally conscious, planning.
Section three amends section 81 of the general city law to require each
member of a city zoning board of appeals, except New York City, to
receive at least one hour of training on environmentally conscious plan-
ning.
Section four amends section 267 of the town law to require each member
of a town zoning board of appeals to receive at least one hour of train-
ing on environmentally conscious planning.
Section five amends section 271 of the town law to require each member
of a town planning board to receive at least one hour of training on
environmentally conscious planning.
Section six amends section 7-712 of the village law to require each
member of a village zoning board of appeals to receive at least one hour
of training on environmentally conscious planning.
Section seven amends section 7-718 of the village law to require each
member of a village planning board to receive at least one hour of
training on environmentally conscious planning.
Section eight states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Planning and Zoning Boards across the state have an incredible responsi-
bility to create the character of a community and ensure it's set up for
success well into the future. These boards also play an important role
in the state's achievement of the goals set forth in the Climate Leader-
ship and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA), as the state cannot
meet these goals without the help of local governments. Zoning, plan-
ning, and permitting, typically decided by localities and their boards,
will help shape New York's regenerative future and determine how we
adapt to the effects of climate change over the long term. This work,
however, is made more complicated by rapidly changing guidelines and
expanding opportunities for state and federal funding and assistance in
the climate leadership space.
The importance of training for board members has already been estab-
lished in statute: over fifteen years ago, the state required four hours
of training for planning and zoning board of appeals members to ensure a
foundational base of knowledge and background information on the compli-
cated workings of permitting and zoning. Serving on a zoning or plan-
ning board was known then to require technical expertise and continued
education, but the challenges and complexities added by the worsening
climate crisis make an updated training necessary.
This bill will require all local officials serving on planning boards or
zoning boards of appeal to receive at least one hour of environmentally
conscious training per year. This continued education will help local
planning and zoning boards make environmentally sound decisions to
ensure communities are best prepared to respond to climate change's
challenges and help guide the state in achieving the goals set forth by
the CLCPA.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024 - S8931, Passed Senate / Al 0239, referred to Local Governments
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S600: 239-c general municipal law, 239-c(2) general municipal law, 27 general city law, 27(7-a) general city law, 81 general city law, 81(7-a) general city law, 267 town law, 267(7-a) town law, 271 town law, 271(7-a) town law, 7-712 village law, 7-712(7-a) village law, 7-718 village law, 7-718(7-a) village law
S600A: 239-c general municipal law, 239-c(2) general municipal law, 27 general city law, 27(7-a) general city law, 81 general city law, 81(7-a) general city law, 267 town law, 267(7-a) town law, 271 town law, 271(7-a) town law, 7-712 village law, 7-712(7-a) village law, 7-718 village law, 7-718(7-a) village law