What's happening
This bill requires annual reporting on large agricultural water withdrawals and exempts specific water source information from public disclosure.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and oversight. by requiring the state to annually report the number of large-scale agricultural water withdrawals, making it easier for policymakers and the public to track the scale of agricultural water use.
Balances public right-to-know and farm privacy. by exempting specific details about water sources (like location and capacity) from public disclosure, which aims to protect farmers’ proprietary or sensitive operational information.
May affect research and public understanding. since detailed water source information must be redacted in any reports shared with outside parties, potentially limiting the ability of researchers and advocates to analyze local water use impacts.
Could influence water management and resource planning. by providing aggregate data to government officials, while ensuring that sensitive operational details are shielded from competitors, activists, or other external actors.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Farm Water Information
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5181
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. MAGEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the environmental conservation law, in relation to water withdrawal reporting and FOIL protection
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 151-h of the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 136 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
§ 151-h. Report. The department, in conjunction with the state soil and water conservation committee, shall report annually to the governor, the legislature and participating agencies on the progress of the AEM program, including an assessment of program effectiveness in achieving state water quality objectives, public and private program participation, and such other information as the department and the committee deem appropriate. Such report shall also include, after consultation with the department of environmental conservation, the number of annual registrations for agricultural water withdrawals exceeding an average of more than one hundred thousand gallons per day in any consecutive thirty day period as provided for in section 15-1504 of the environmental conservation law.
§ 2. Section 15-1504 of the environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
6. Disclosure.
a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any information collected pursuant to subparagraph one of paragraph b of subdivision three of this section or subparagraph one of paragraph a of subdivision four of this section shall not be subject to disclosure under the freedom of information law pursuant to article six of the public officers law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08804-01-7
A. 5181 2
b. Any reports to outside parties for research or other purposes shall be redacted to exclude any information about: a water source, the location of a water source, the capacity of a water source, and the place and source of a proposed or existing withdrawal that is gathered pursuant to subparagraph one of paragraph b of subdivision three of this section or subparagraph one of paragraph a of subdivision four of this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.