What's happening
This bill establishes a $10 million grant program to help small New York municipalities fund flood mitigation projects through 2027.
Why it matters
Targets Small Communities. By limiting eligibility to municipalities under one million people, the program specifically supports smaller cities and towns that often have fewer resources to address flood risks on their own.
Comprehensive Approach. The grants are not just for immediate flood relief but can also fund long-term projects like watershed management, flood warning systems, and multi-municipal collaborations, encouraging strategic planning and regional cooperation.
Promotes Collaboration. The bill encourages and enables joint applications for projects that span multiple municipalities, recognizing that effective flood mitigation often requires a coordinated, regional response rather than isolated local efforts.
Integration with Other Programs. Municipalities and the state are required to coordinate funded projects with existing state and federal flood programs, which could help ensure that local efforts are aligned with broader flood management strategies and maximize the impact of public funds.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Flood Prevention Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8585
IN SENATE
May 10, 2018
Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to enacting the New York state comprehensive flood mitigation grant act; making an appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
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 "New York state comprehensive flood mitigation grant act".
§ 2. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 16-0121 to read as follows: § 16-0121. Comprehensive flood mitigation grant program.
1. The commissioner shall establish a program which shall be known as the "comprehensive flood mitigation grant program". The purpose of this program is to aid municipalities with a population of less than one million people to implement flood mitigation plans.
2. (a) The commissioner shall establish the eligibility criteria and develop an application process to award grants to municipalities for flood control and watershed management projects; and for the capital costs related to the design, purchase and installation of flood warning projects, flood mitigation projects, flood relief projects or other related projects.
(b) The commissioner may approve any application in which the projects described in the application are (i) consistent with the eligibility criteria established by the commissioner pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision; (ii) undertaken as part of a comprehensive flood management plan prepared and adopted by such municipality or part of a multi-municipal project as described in subdivision three of this section; and (iii) not inconsistent with any state-wide flood management plan.
(c) If an application is disapproved, the commissioner shall set forth in writing the reason for disapproval.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02490-01-7
S. 8585 2
3. Recognizing that flood mitigation efforts frequently cross over municipal boundaries, the commissioner shall encourage municipalities to file joint applications for the funding of multi-municipal projects. Such projects shall require that one or more adjacent municipalities jointly agree to apply for capital funding for projects that impact two or more municipalities, provided that the governing body of each municipality shall approve the multi-municipal application.
4. The department and eligible municipalities shall coordinate activities under this section with all related state and federal flood programs.
§ 3. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby appropriated to the department of environmental conservation out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of the department of environmental conservation in the manner prescribed by law.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2027.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to enacting the New York state comprehensive flood mitigation grant act; making an appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose or general idea of bill
To create a comprehensive state-wide flood mitigation grant program to aid municipalities in implementing flood mitigation plans.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 sets out the title "New York State Comprehensive Flood Miti- gation Grant Act".
Section 2 amends the environmental conservation law by adding a new section § 16-0121, providing a flood mitigation grant program.
Section 1 of 0 16-0121 sets forth that the commissioner of the Depart- ment of Environmental Conservation shall establish a comprehensive flood mitigation. grant program in order to aid municipalities in implementing flood mitigation plans.
Section 2 (a) of 0 16-0121 provides that the commissioner may establish the eligibility criteria and application process to award grants to municipalities for flood control and watershed management projects and for the capital costs related to design, purchase and installation of flood mitigation, relief, warning, and other related projects.
Section 2 (b) of § 16-ò0121 establishes that the commissioner may approve applications in. which the projects in the application are consistent with. the established eligibility criteria; undertaken as part of a comprehensive flood management plan prepared and adopted. by a municipality or multi-municipal projects and not inconsistent with any statewide flood management plan.
Section 2 (c) of 0 16-0121 establishes that if an application is disap- proved, the commissioner shall provide written reasons for disapproval.
Section 3 of § 16-0121 provides that the commissioner shall encourage municipalities to file joint applications for the funding of multi-muni- cipality projects. Such projects shall require that one or more adjacent municipalities jointly agree to apply for capital funding for projects that impact two or more municipalities, provided that the governing body of each municipality shall approve the multi-municipal application.
Section 4 of § 16-0121 establishes that the department and eligible municipalities shall coordinate activities with all relevant state and federal flood programs.
Section 3 establishes that ten million dollars shall be appropriated to the department of environmental conservation, not otherwise appropri- ated, and made immediately available in order to carry out the provisions of this act.
Section 4 provides that no later than 90 days after the effective date, the Department will issue a report regarding projects and implementing rules.
Section 5 establishes the effective date.
Justification
Major flooding problems continually affect New York municipalities in coastal locations, and along inland rivers, streams and brooks. Miti- gation of these flooding problems involves significant projects that are extremely expensive to develop, build and/or operate, and often involve multiple municipalities, proving to be a huge burden on local property taxpayers and municipalities, This state mitigation fund would provide direct assistance to reduce the costs of these projects, improve coordi- nation, facilitating their implementation and the resulting reduction in future flood damage.
Legislative history
2017: A2184(Mayer) referred to environmental conservation 2015-16: A1874(Mayer) referred to environmental conservation 2013-14: A6503(Mayer) referred to environmental conservation Similar to 20011-12:A44(Latimer)referred to environmental conservation Similar to 2009-10:A198(Latimer)referred to Environmental Conservation Similar to 2007-08:A9555(Latimer)referred to Environmental Conservation
Fiscal implications
TED
Effective date
120 days after the bill becomes law and shall expire and be deemed repealed on December 31, 2025
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.