What's happening
This bill requires the preparation and distribution of a model outdoor lighting ordinance to help save energy and reduce glare and sky glow.
Why it matters
Encourages Consistent Lighting Standards. By requiring a model ordinance, the bill aims to provide local governments with a standardized approach to outdoor lighting, potentially creating more uniform lighting policies across cities, towns, and villages.
Addresses Public Health and Safety. The definitions of "glare" and "sky glow" highlight concerns about visibility and nighttime safety—reducing glare can improve drivers’ and pedestrians’ ability to see at night, while minimizing sky glow supports better sleep and overall well-being for residents.
Promotes Environmental and Energy Benefits. The emphasis on saving energy and reducing unnecessary lighting supports both cost savings for municipalities and environmental benefits, such as reduced energy consumption and less disruption to ecosystems caused by artificial light.
Facilitates Local Action. By providing municipalities with a ready-to-use ordinance, the bill lowers the barrier for local governments to adopt best practices in outdoor lighting, helping them make evidence-based decisions without having to develop regulations from scratch.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Create Outdoor Lighting Guidelines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local governments
- Referred to local governments
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
824
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the preparation and distribution of a model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 137 to read as follows:
§ 137. Model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance. The secretary of state, in consultation with the New York state energy research and development authority, the commissioner of transportation and the commissioner of general services, shall prepare or cause to be prepared and distributed to cities, towns and villages a model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance for the purpose of saving energy, reducing unnecessary glare and reducing unnecessary sky glow. For purposes of this section, the term "glare" shall mean light emitted by a luminaire that causes reduced visibility or momentary blindness by shining directly into the eyes of the viewer; and the term "sky glow" shall mean the illumination of the nighttime sky that results from upward shining light, which is reflected off molecules and particles of dirt and moisture in the atmosphere.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02582-01-9
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.