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Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
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.
Eliminates the MTA's exemption from environmental quality review standards established by article 8 of the environmental conservation law
In Assembly Committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S3874
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to eliminating the metropolitan commuter transportation authority's environmental quality review exemption
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would eliminate special exemptions to the State Environmental Quality Review Act that apply solely to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends subdivisions 3 and 11 of section 1266 of the public authorities law by removing language which exempts the metropolitan commuter transportation authority from environmental quality review under article eight of the environmental conservation law.
Section 2 sets forth an immediate effective date.
Justification
The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) is New York State's fundamental environmental protection law. It requires government agencies to consider the potential environmental impacts of actions they propose to take before making any decision to take those actions.
There are several exemptions to SEQRA sprinkled throughout the Consolidated Laws. However, these exemptions tend to be very narrow and apply only to acquisitions of specific properties. For example, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) enjoys a SEQRA exemption that is limited to the acquisition and purchase of the Sheridan Avenue steam plant in Albany. The MTA's SEQRA exemptions allow the authority to take just about any action without any environmental review. This is extremely unusual and perhaps unique. Public authorities that perform functions similar those performed by the MTA, including transportation authorities across the state such as the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, the Capital District Transportation Authority, and the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, enjoy no SEQRA exemptions.
The MTA owns a great deal of real property, operates a huge quantity of equipment and affects the lives of millions of New Yorkers. Its actions can have very substantial environmental impacts and should be reviewed. This legislation will ensure that the MTA will be held to the same standard as other state public authorities and agencies.
Prior legislative history
01/09/13 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION 01/08/14 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION 2011-2012: Referred to Transportation 2009-2010: Referred to Transportation; Reported to Finance
2007-2008: Referred to Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
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.