BILL NUMBER: S4386
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a chief
sustainability officer
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to ensure that state government in New York
strives for environmentally sustainable practices within its own build-
ings, vehicles, and for the public health of its personnel as a long-
term practice, through the establishment of a position of chief sustain-
ability officer.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
A new section 94-e is added to the executive law to create the position
of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), to be appointed by the governor.
The CSO would coordinate efforts related to the state's climate goals,
including, but not limited to; coordinating policy to promote energy and
environmental sustainability across state government operations;
supporting state agencies' implementation of statutory requirements
related to energy and environmental protection; and acting as New York's
representative to the United States Climate Alliance and other national
organizations focused on climate science and sustainability research.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The coordination across state agencies of efforts to maintain energy
efficiency in buildings and vehicles and other entities is the purview
of sustainability offices across the country and within the federal
government as well. New York has directives for energy efficiency and
laws creating clean energy targets for the state as a whole; however,
there is no central office whose singular mission is to coordinate the
best practices for sustainability, climate change mitigation, and envi-
ronmental stewardship throughout state government, including all of the
buildings and the vehicle fleet the state owns and/or manages. Addi-
tionally, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, sustainability measures can
also serve to maintain public health for the state's 300,000+ state
employees.
With regard to energy usage, in 2012 the Governor's Executive Order 88
directed the New York Power Authority to create a Central Management and
Implementation Team (CMIT) to have all Affected State Entities reduce
energy use by at least 20% by April 2020 and to submit annual reports on
progress toward that target. The goals of this EO are now superseded and
strengthened by the state's Climate Law, (Ch.106 /Laws of 2019 the
"CLCPA"); however, the Climate Law does not provide for overall sustain-
ability measures that go beyond clean energy usage by the state itself.
In addition to managing energy efficiency efforts, a statewide sustaina-
bility officer can provide centralized leadership toward the state's
ongoing and longterm efforts toward: modernization of vehicle fleet;
waste reduction efforts; air quality in buildings; water usage
reduction; and all facets of environmental and public health measures
that collectively constitute sustainable management of our state govern-
ment entities.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S2003-A (MAY)/ A. 5909-A (Epstein) PASSED BOTH HOUSES, VETOED,
Memo.30
2023: S2003 (MAY) REF TO FINANCE/ A.5909 (Epstein) ref to gov ops
2021-2022: S.6849 (MAY) REF TO FINANCE
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Subject to appropriation.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 1st after enactment