What's happening
This bill makes county planning and zoning referral requirements applicable to all counties, except those wholly within a city.
Why it matters
Expands oversight on local planning and zoning decisions. By making referral requirements applicable to all counties (except those entirely within a city), the bill ensures broader county-level or regional input on local land use actions, potentially leading to more coordinated development and infrastructure planning.
Reduces exceptions and closes loopholes. Counties operating under special charters—previously sometimes exempt—would now be required to follow the same referral process, limiting inconsistency and potential gaps in oversight across the state.
Impacts timelines and administrative processes. Local governments may face new procedural steps and possible delays in implementing planning or zoning changes, as they will need to obtain county or regional review before finalizing decisions, which could affect project timelines for developers and municipalities.
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Who cares
County planning agencies and regional planning councils
The bill would make Section 239-m’s planning and zoning referral provisions applicable to all counties, including charter counties, except counties wholly contained within a city.
City, town and village planning and zoning bodies
Their proposed actions would be subject to those provisions in covered counties if they have not taken final action by the bill’s effective date.
Developers and property owners with pending planning or zoning proposals
They would have an interest in whether county or regional referral provisions apply to proposals still awaiting final municipal action when the bill takes effect.
Headline styles
Expand County Zoning Authority
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
1212
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the referral of certain proposed city, town, and village planning and zoning actions to the county planning agency or regional planning council
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 239-m of the general municipal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to all counties, including but not limited to counties operating under county charters; provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to a county wholly contained within a city.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all proposed actions on which a referring body has not taken final action on and after the effective date of this act.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01998-01-5
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.