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History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to requirements for lead agency
In Assembly Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S623
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the requirements for lead agency
Purpose or general idea of bill
Amends the environmental quality review law with regard to what entity may serve as lead agency.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends section 8-0111 of the environmental conservation law so that if an action to be carried out or approved by two or more agencies involves the religious exercise of a person, only a county or state agency may act as lead agency.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) was enacted in 1976, so that environment impacts are duly considered when project,s are building in the state's cities, towns, villages and rural areas. However, when projects are complex or controversial, is it possible for consultants, or developers, or citizens groups, or well organized opponents or advocate groups to effectively remove control of the SEQRA process from the local public officials who should be leading and shaping the process. Such loss of control by local public officials of the SEQRA process is problematic because the public officials taking part in the process are expected to be honest brokers who will keep the process objective and fact-driven.
On a local level, conflicts between groups over project,s concerning the exercise of one I s religion, can often polarize the SEQRA process to a point where local officials have difficulty maintaining the objectivity of the process. This legislation will help ensure the objectivity of the local SEQRA process in such circumstances by requiring that where an action involves the religious exercise of a person or persons, as such is defined under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a county or state agency will be the lead agency.
Prior legislative history
None. This is new legislation.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.