What's happening
This bill provides tax abatements and utility charge reductions for installing sewage backflow prevention devices in New York City buildings.
Why it matters
Incentivizes property owners to proactively prevent sewage flooding. By offering significant tax abatements (up to $2,000 or half the installation costs), the bill encourages both homeowners and not-for-profit organizations to invest in check valve devices, which can prevent costly and hazardous sewage backflow incidents.
Expands support to not-for-profits and various building types. The bill ensures that not-for-profit entities, regardless of building type, can benefit from abatements on both property taxes and water/sewer charges, thereby extending flood prevention measures to facilities such as schools, community centers, and shelters, not just private homes.
Targets urban infrastructure vulnerabilities. By focusing on cities with populations over one million (effectively New York City), the bill addresses areas most prone to sewage flooding due to aging infrastructure and dense populations, potentially reducing public health risks and municipal cleanup costs.
Mandates city agency oversight and standardization. The requirement for the Department of Environmental Protection to define appropriate check valve systems ensures that only effective and safe devices qualify, helping to standardize installations and maximize public benefit.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Tax Breaks for Flood Prevention
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 25
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to real property taxation
- Referred to real property taxation
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.
Subsidize Sewage Backflow Devices
In Senate Committee · Cities · Sponsor Tony Avella
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1508
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Real Property Taxation
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enacting the "sewage flooding prevention act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "sewage flooding prevention act".
§ 2. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new section 471 to read as follows:
§ 471. Abatement of taxes for the installation of check valves for sewer improvements in cities with a population of one million or more. 1. In a city with a population of one million or more, any owner of a dwelling who installs a check valve device to prevent sewage from backflowing into such dwelling shall receive an abatement of taxes on such real property equaling one-half, up to two thousand dollars towards the cost of purchasing and installing such device.
2. Any not-for-profit entity which owns a building of any type or a dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more and which installs a check valve device to prevent sewage from back-flowing into such building or dwelling shall receive an abatement of water and sewer charges equaling one-half of the cost of purchasing and installing such device, up to two thousand dollars.
3. For the purposes of this section, the term "dwelling" shall mean any building, structure or portion thereof which is occupied in whole or in part as a home, residence or sleeping place for one or more human beings.
4. The New York city department of environmental protection shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00524-01-7
A. 1508 2
this section, including but not limited to, identifying appropriate check valve systems.
§ 3. Subdivision e of section 24-514 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
e. Exemptions from sewer rents or charges. Any real property which is entitled to an exemption from the payment of water rents or charges shall also be exempt from payment of the sewer rents or charges imposed hereunder. In addition, any not-for-profit entity which owns a building of any type or a dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more and which installs a check valve device to prevent sewage from back-flowing into such building or dwelling shall receive an abatement of water and sewer charges equaling one-half of the cost of purchasing and installing such device, up to two thousand dollars. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "dwelling" shall mean any building, structure or portion thereof which is occupied in whole or in part as a home, residence or sleeping place for one or more human beings.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.