What's happening
This bill creates the Sustainable Communities Fund to provide grants for municipal projects that promote smart growth and environmentally friendly development.
Why it matters
Direct funding for local governments. By providing grants specifically to municipal corporations, the bill empowers localities to pursue projects tailored to their own smart growth and environmental needs, potentially speeding up progress where state-level action may lag.
Encourages holistic, long-term planning. The requirement that funded projects align with comprehensive municipal plans and incorporate smart growth principles ensures that investments aren’t piecemeal, but support broader community sustainability and resilience goals.
Leverages additional investment. Municipalities must match state funds dollar-for-dollar, which both multiplies the impact of state spending and ensures local buy-in and commitment to each project.
Supports diverse environmental initiatives. Eligible projects include everything from walkable and bike-friendly infrastructure to waterfront revitalization and anti-sprawl efforts, meaning the fund could address multiple dimensions of environmental and community health depending on local priorities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Sustainable Communities Fund
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Create Sustainable Communities Fund
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Albert A. Stirpe
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2875
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 30, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the sustainable communities fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ff to read as follows:
§ 99-ff. Sustainable communities fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of environmental conservation a fund to be known as the "sustainable communities fund".
2. Such fund shall consist of all monies appropriated for its purpose, all other monies credited or transferred to such fund pursuant to law, and all monies required by this section or any other provisions of law to be paid into or credited to such fund.
3. Moneys of such fund shall be made available to the commissioner of environmental conservation and shall be used for grants to municipal corporations, as that term is defined in section two of the general municipal law, for eligible projects pursuant to this section. To qualify for such grants, municipal corporations shall (a) incorporate smart growth principles, as enumerated in article six of the environmental conservation law, into their comprehensive plans in accordance with sections two hundred seventy-two-a of the town law, 7-722 of the village law, and twenty-eight-a of the general city law, (b) demonstrate that eligible projects conform to the comprehensive plans, and (c) demonstrate the ability to leverage one dollar in matching funds for every dollar of state financial assistance.
4. Following appropriation by the legislature, monies of the fund shall be available only for distribution to eligible projects. Such eligible projects shall incorporate smart growth principles or utilize
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00660-01-9
S. 2875 2
climate resilient and environmentally friendly construction techniques and shall include, but not be limited to, creating walkable communities including the widening of sidewalks and bike lanes, waterfront revitalization projects including dredging, beautification projects, combating urban sprawl, and developing mixed use communities.
5. The commissioner of environmental conservation shall promulgate any necessary rules and regulations for the application and distribution of any funds pursuant to this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately, the commissioner of environmental conservation is authorized and directed to promulgate, amend, and/or repeal any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Purpose
The Sustainable Communities fund will be used to encourage the incorpo- ration of smart growth principles into planning efforts by munici- palities and the revitalization of many communities. Smart Growth is the concept that development should be concentrated in ways that avoid sprawl which taxes infrastructure networks and poses risks to the natural environment.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. The state finance law shall be amended by adding section 99-ff, which creates a "sustainable communities fund" under control of the state comptroller and commissioner of environmental conservation.
Section 2. This fund shall only contain monies intended for the Sustain- able Communities Fund.
Section 3. To qualify for grants, municipalities must incorporate "smart growth principles" into their comprehensive plans, demonstrate their proposed projects comply with the comprehensive plans, and have the ability to match state funding dollar for dollar.
Section 4. Funding shall only be available for projects that use envi- ronmentally sound construction techniques, utilize smart growth princi- ples, and consider climate resiliency.
Section 5. The commissioner of environmental conservation may promulgate rules and regulations to effect the purposes of this section.
Section 6. Effective Date
Justification
While parts of the state continue to do well economically, many cities and rural areas have experienced decline. In order to revitalize these urban and rural areas, a fund will be established to meet the infras- tructure needs of the 21st century. The Sustainable Communities Fund will be used to encourage smart growth development as a method to revi- talize areas of the state. These small scale investments have a major impact by creating walkable communities with nearby public transit, pedestrian-focused streets with access to downtown businesses for seniors and shoppers, and by utilizes resilient, environmentally friend- ly construction techniques
Legislative history
2016-2017 S.3946-A (Avella); referred to finance 2017-2018: S. 1936 (Avella); referred to finance
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately provided that the commissioner of environmental conservation is immediately authorized and directed to promulgate, amend, and/or repeal any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.