A10264 Summary:

BILL NOA10264
 
SAME ASSAME AS S07908
 
SPONSOREnglebright
 
COSPNSRCrespo, Simon, Cahill, Mosley, Cook, Braunstein, Rosenthal, Gottfried, Lifton
 
MLTSPNSRGlick, Robinson, Thiele
 
 
Establishes the New York state ocean acidification task force to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidification and to evaluate ways of addressing the problem by applying the best available science as to ocean acidification and its anticipated impacts.
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A10264 Actions:

BILL NOA10264
 
05/18/2016referred to environmental conservation
05/24/2016reported referred to ways and means
05/25/2016reported
05/26/2016advanced to third reading cal.884
06/02/2016passed assembly
06/02/2016delivered to senate
06/02/2016REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
06/14/2016SUBSTITUTED FOR S7908
06/14/20163RD READING CAL.1517
06/14/2016PASSED SENATE
06/14/2016RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
11/16/2016delivered to governor
11/28/2016signed chap.464
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A10264 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A10264
 
SPONSOR: Englebright
  TITLE OF BILL: An act in relation to creating the New York state ocean acidification task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira- tion thereof   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To facilitate research, public education, and information-sharing regarding ocean acidification and its impacts on the State.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill would create a fourteen-member Ocean Acidification Task Force within the Department of Environmental Conservation to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidification and evaluating ways of addressing the problem by applying the best available science. In addition to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Depart- ment of State, and the Office of General Services, the Task Force would include at large members who would have expertise in one or more of the following areas: climatology; hydrology; economics; marine fisheries; aquaculture; oceanography; or ecology.   JUSTIFICATION: Atmospheric carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid when dissolved in water. As a result, the increased levels of carbon dioxide resulting from climate change have contributed to oceans becoming increasingly acidic. Ocean acidification can be further exacerbated by runoff and nutrient influx from land. According to information provided by the Maine Ocean Acidification Commission, "Scientific data indicates that the rate of acidification is at least 100 times faster at present than at any other time in the last 200,000 years and may be unprecedented in earth's history." In addition, it is thought that the Atlantic Ocean along the Northeast shore will be especially vulnerable to ocean acidification because carbon dioxide is increasingly soluble in cold water and the Northeast will be subject to increasingly intense rain events leading to more intensive runoff. Although the science is still developing, it is believed that ocean acidification will have an adverse impact on the marine fisheries indus- try, especially shellfish. The Draft Ocean Action Plan 2015-2025 prepared by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of State indicates "In 2011, commercial fishing industries landed more than 27 million pounds of finfish and shellfish worth $37.6 million, generated $5 billion in sales in local communities, contributed $1.8 billion to the gross state product, and supported 42,000 jobs. That same year, recreational anglers generated $369 million in sales, contributed $212 million to gross state product, and supported 3,000 jobs."   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is new legislation.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: Minimal.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall be take effect immediately and shall be deemed repealed January 1, 2019.
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A10264 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          10264
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 18, 2016
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
        AN ACT in relation to creating the New York  state  ocean  acidification
          task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expi-
          ration thereof
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. New York state ocean acidification task force. 1.  There is
     2  hereby established, within the department of environmental conservation,
     3  an ocean acidification task force ("task force") which shall consist  of
     4  14 members who shall be appointed as follows:
     5    (a)  the  commissioner  of  environmental  conservation  or his or her
     6  designee;
     7    (b) the secretary of state or his or her designee;
     8    (c) the commissioner of the office of general services or his  or  her
     9  designee;
    10    (d) two members appointed by the governor;
    11    (e)  two  members  to  be  appointed by the temporary president of the
    12  senate;
    13    (f) two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    14    (g) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
    15    (h) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
    16    (i) one member to be appointed by the mayor of the city of New York;
    17    (j) one member to be appointed by the county executive of  the  county
    18  of Nassau; and
    19    (k)  one  member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
    20  of Suffolk.
    21    2. The at large members should include individuals with  expertise  in
    22  one  or  more of the following areas: climatology; hydrology; economics;
    23  marine fisheries including commercial and/or recreational fishing; envi-
    24  ronmental; aquaculture; oceanography or  coastal  ocean  science;  ocean
    25  acidification; and ecology or environmental biology.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15546-01-6

        A. 10264                            2
 
     1    3. Task force members shall receive no compensation for their services
     2  but  shall  be  reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
     3  the performance of their duties.
     4    4.  The  chairperson  of  the  task force shall be the commissioner of
     5  environmental conservation or his or her designee. The task force  shall
     6  meet  no  less  than  four  times  and at other times at the call of the
     7  chairperson.
     8    5. Any vacancies on the task force  shall  be  filled  in  the  manner
     9  provided for in the initial appointment.
    10    6.  The  task  force  shall  be authorized to hold public hearings and
    11  meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties.
    12    7. The task force  may  consult  with  any  organization,  educational
    13  institution,  other government entity or agency or person including, but
    14  not limited to, the national ocean and  atmospheric  administration,  in
    15  the  development  of  its  report  required  by  subdivision  10 of this
    16  section.
    17    8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the task
    18  force with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the  task
    19  force to carry out its powers and duties.  Additionally, all other agen-
    20  cies  of  the  state  or subdivisions thereof may, at the request of the
    21  chairperson, provide the task force with  such  facilities,  assistance,
    22  and  data  as  will  enable  the  task force to carry out its powers and
    23  duties.
    24    9. The purpose of the New York state ocean  acidification  task  force
    25  shall be to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidi-
    26  fication  and  evaluating ways of addressing the problem by applying the
    27  best available science as to ocean  acidification  and  its  anticipated
    28  impacts.
    29    10.  No later than December 31, 2018, the task force shall transmit to
    30  the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the  speaker  of
    31  the assembly a report containing the following:
    32    (a) an assessment of the anticipated impacts related to ocean acidifi-
    33  cation;
    34    (b)  recommendations related to mechanisms New York could establish to
    35  provide stronger, more protective standards, and the implementation  and
    36  enforcement of such standards in the context of ocean acidification;
    37    (c)  recommendations regarding adaptive measures which may be taken to
    38  respond to ocean acidification, including measures to:
    39    (i) identify and monitor  early  effects  of  ocean  acidification  on
    40  marine life, animals, plants and natural communities; and
    41    (ii)  integrate  ocean acidification mitigation and adaptation strate-
    42  gies into state environmental plans;
    43    (d) recommendations on state and  local  regulatory  and/or  statutory
    44  alterations to respond to the impacts of ocean acidification;
    45    (e) review existing scientific literature and data on ocean acidifica-
    46  tion  and  how it has directly or indirectly affected or may potentially
    47  affect commercially harvested and grown species along the coast;
    48    (f) identify and monitor the factors contributing to ocean  acidifica-
    49  tion; and
    50    (g)  recommendations  to increase public awareness of ocean acidifica-
    51  tion.
    52    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    53  deemed repealed January 1, 2019.
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