What's happening
This bill authorizes New York State to borrow $5 billion through bonds to fund clean water projects, subject to voter approval.
Why it matters
Targets a broad range of water quality issues. The $5 billion can be used for projects like repairing and updating municipal wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water infrastructure, as well as restoring contaminated areas and funding water quality research—addressing both immediate and long-term threats to public health and the environment.
Expands eligibility for funding. Not just state agencies, but also local governments, public authorities, school districts, and even not-for-profit organizations can apply for funding, potentially increasing the impact and reach of clean water initiatives across New York State.
Holds polluters financially accountable. If funds used from the bond are recovered later from polluters (e.g., via Superfund actions), that money must be used to repay the state debt, helping to ensure that the cost is ultimately borne by those responsible for pollution rather than taxpayers.
Links to specific clean water programs. The money will further fund existing efforts like the Clean Water Infrastructure Act and related initiatives, potentially accelerating progress on pressing issues such as emerging contaminants, septic system replacements, and source water protection.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Clean Water Projects
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
35 Co-sponsors
- Richard Gottfried
- Sandy Galef
- Fred Thiele
- Charles Lavine
- Earlene Hooper
- Edward Braunstein
- Aileen Gunther
- Walter T. Mosley
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Andrew Hevesi
- Barbara Lifton
- Anthony D'Urso
- Yuh-Line Niou
- Crystal Peoples-Stokes
- Kenneth Zebrowski
- Vivian Cook
- Pamela J. Hunter
- Thomas Abinanti
- Jo Anne Simon
- Alicia Hyndman
- Billy Jones
- Michael Blake
- Jose Rivera
- Deborah Glick
- Felix Ortiz
- Kimberly Jean-Pierre
- Phil Steck
- Addie Jenne
- Angelo Santabarbara
- Jeffrion Aubry
- Frank Skartados
- Andrew Raia
- Kevin Cahill
- Linda Rosenthal
- David Buchwald
3 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Print number 5467a
- Amend (t) and recommit 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.
Fund Clean Water Projects
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Kemp Hannon
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5467--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, GOTTFRIED, GALEF, THIELE, LAVINE, HOOPER, BRAUNSTEIN, GUNTHER, MOSLEY, JAFFEE, HEVESI, LIFTON, D'URSO, NIOU, PEOPLES-STOKES, ZEBROWSKI, COOK, HUNTER, ABINANTI, SIMON, GJONAJ, HYNDMAN, JONES, BLAKE, RIVERA, GLICK, ORTIZ, JEAN-PIERRE, HARRIS, STECK, JENNE, SANTABARBARA, AUBRY, SKARTADOS, RAIA -- Multi- Sponsored by -- M. of A. CARROLL, LENTOL, NOLAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to authorize the creation of a state debt in the amount of five billion dollars, in relation to creating the "clean water bond act of
2018" to provide moneys for the preservation, enhancement, restoration and improvement of the quality of the state's water through the funding of certain projects and activities; and providing for the submission to the people of a proposition or question therefor to be voted upon at the general election to be held in November, two thousand eighteen
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The clean water bond act of 2018 is enacted to read as follows:
CLEAN WATER BOND ACT OF 2018
Section 1. Short title.
2. Creation of a state debt.
3. Bonds of the state.
4. Use of moneys received.
§ 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "clean water bond act of 2018".
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09318-07-7
A. 5467--A 2
§ 2. Creation of a state debt. The creation of a state debt to an amount not exceeding in the aggregate five billion dollars ($5,000,000,000), is hereby authorized to provide moneys for the single purpose of preserving, enhancing, restoring and improving the quality of the state's water by the accomplishment of projects and the funding of activities by state agencies, public authorities and public benefit corporations, municipalities, and other governmental entities and notfor-profit corporations for and related to protecting, improving and enhancing the quality of drinking water and enhancement of water bodies; by providing funds for water quality related research and development; for repairing, replacing and updating municipal wastewater, stormwater and drinking water infrastructure; and for restoring and improving contaminated areas and returning those to productive use; for improving environmental health.
The legislature may, by appropriate legislation and subject to such conditions as it may impose, make available out of the proceeds of the sale of bonds authorized in section three of this act, moneys disbursed or to be disbursed for state programs or state assistance payments toward the cost of such programs undertaken by or through a state or local public authority or public benefit corporation, not-for-profit corporation, county, city, town, village, school district, supervisory district, district corporation, improvement district within a county, city, town, village, or Indian tribe residing in whole or in part within the state, or any combination thereof, for the purpose of preserving, enhancing, restoring and improving the quality of the state's environment and natural resources. Provided however, that funds expended from moneys derived from the sale of bonds authorized in section three of this act that are later recovered under a state or federal superfund or through other means from polluters shall be repaid to satisfy any state debt created pursuant to this act.
§ 3. Bonds of the state. The state comptroller is hereby authorized and empowered to issue and sell bonds of the state to the amount of five billion dollars ($5,000,000,000), for the purpose of this act, subject to the provisions of article 5 of the state finance law.
The aggregate principal amount of such bonds shall not exceed five billion dollars ($5,000,000,000), excluding bonds issued to refund or otherwise repay bonds theretofore issued for such purpose; provided, however, that upon any such refunding or repayment the total aggregate principal amount of outstanding bonds may be greater than five billion dollars ($5,000,000,000), only if the present value of the aggregate debt service of the refunding or repayment bonds to be issued shall not exceed the present value of the aggregate debt service of the bonds to be refunded or repaid. The method for calculating present value shall be determined by law. Any funds expended from moneys derived from the sale of bonds pursuant to this section that are subsequently recovered under state or federal superfund or other methods from polluters shall be used to repay the bonds.
§ 4. Use of moneys received. The moneys received by the state from the sale of bonds sold pursuant to this act shall be expended pursuant to appropriations to further fund the clean water infrastructure act of 2017 including, but not limited to, funds for the water infrastructure improvement act of 2017, water quality improvement projects, source water protection, septic system replacement and mitigation of water systems to reduce exposure to emerging contaminants.
§ 2. This act shall not take effect unless and until it shall have been submitted to the people at the general election to be held in
A. 5467--A 3
November, and shall have received a majority of all votes cast for and against it at such election. Upon approval by the people, this act shall take effect immediately.
The ballots to be furnished for the use of voters upon submission of this act shall be in the form prescribed by the election law and the proposition or question to be submitted shall be printed thereon in substantially the following form, namely, "Shall chapter (here insert the number of the chapter) of the laws of 2018, known as the clean water bond act of 2018, authorizing the creation of a state debt in the amount of five billion dollars ($5,000,000,000), to provide moneys for the enhancing of drinking water quality, and the preservation and restoration of the state's water resources be approved?".
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.