What's happening
This bill requires state office buildings to provide clean, accessible drinking water to public employees, prioritizing methods that reduce single-use plastics.
Why it matters
Prioritizes employee well-being and public health. by mandating the provision of clean, accessible drinking water in all state office buildings, helping to ensure basic needs are consistently met for public workers.
Targets reduction of single-use plastics. by requiring the commissioner to choose water access solutions—like filtered bottle stations or dispensers—that minimize reliance on disposable bottles, aligning state operations with broader environmental and sustainability goals.
Empowers the commissioner of general services. to determine the most effective and practical method for water provision, allowing flexibility for different building layouts and usage patterns while maintaining a focus on environmental impact.
Could set a precedent for other public and private buildings. by modeling environmentally responsible and worker-focused building standards, potentially encouraging wider adoption of similar practices across New York and beyond.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Guarantee Clean Water at Work
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
215
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to providing access to clean water for public employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 148 to read as follows:
§ 148. Public employee clean water access. 1. As used in this section, "covered public building" means a public building owned by the state of New York, under the supervision and control of the commissioner of general services, that is determined by such commissioner to be a state office building.
2. The commissioner of general services shall ensure clean, safe drinking water is available in easily accessible locations for all public employees in covered public buildings. Such drinking water shall be made available by the use of water jug dispensers or filtered water bottle filling stations. The commissioner shall make such drinking water available in the manner best suited to reduce the use of single-use plastics, as determined by such commissioner.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01046-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public buildings law, in relation to providing access to clean water for public employees
Purpose or general idea of bill
To ensure that all public employees working in state-owned office build- ings have access to clean, safe drinking water in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new Section 148 to the public buildings law requiring the commissioner of general services to ensure clean and safe drinking water is provided in easily accessible locations in all state-owned public buildings under the supervision and control of the commissioner, and specifying that drinking water must be supplied using water jug dispensers or filtered water bottle-filling stations, in a manner best suited to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Public employees deserve access to clean drinking water as a basic amen- ity in their workplaces. Ensuring such access not only promotes health and wellness but also aligns with New York State's broader commitment to environmental sustainability. By reducing reliance on single-use plastic water bottles, this legislation contributes to reducing plastic waste, reducing carbon emissions resulting from the production of single-use plastic bottles and decreasing the state's overall carbon footprint
The implementation of water jug dispensers or filtered water bottle- filling stations in state-owned office buildings will provide a cost-ef- fective and sustainable solution to advance the state's environmental, climate and public health goals.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal. Potential savings in long-term waste management costs due to reduced single-use plastic bottle consumption.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 180 days after becoming law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.