What's happening
This bill prohibits the intentional outdoor release of certain helium-filled balloons in New York, with specific exemptions.
Why it matters
Addresses environmental concerns. The bill targets the intentional release of helium-filled balloons, which often end up as litter, polluting landscapes and water bodies, and posing hazards to wildlife that may ingest balloon fragments or become entangled.
Reduces risks to infrastructure and public safety. By specifically prohibiting balloons made of electrically conductive materials (like Mylar), the bill aims to prevent incidents such as power outages and electrical fires that can occur when these balloons contact power lines.
Focuses on large-scale releases. While not banning all releases, the law sets a threshold (25 or more balloons within 24 hours) for non-conductive helium balloons, acknowledging that mass releases have the greatest environmental and safety impacts.
Maintains exceptions for scientific and practical uses. The bill exempts balloons used for scientific research, meteorological data collection, and manned hot air balloons, ensuring that necessary and beneficial uses are not disrupted.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Outdoor Balloon Releases
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred 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.
Ban Outdoor Balloon Releases
In Senate Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor Alessandra Biaggi
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4754
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the release of certain balloons
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 11-0331 to read as follows: § 11-0331. Release of certain balloons prohibited.
1. No person shall knowingly release or intentionally cause to be released outdoors any balloon constructed of electrically conductive material and filled with helium or a gas lighter than air.
2. No person shall knowingly release or intentionally cause to be released outdoors, within a twenty-four hour period, twenty-five or more balloons constructed of non-electrically conductive material and filled with helium or a gas lighter than air.
3. This section shall not apply to:
(a) balloons which are used for the purpose of carrying scientific instrumentation during the performance of an experiment or test or by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes; or
(b) manned hot air balloons.
§ 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06419-01-9
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.