New York A 9620: Establishes the native/pollinator planting fund, the pollinator highway program and creates a distinctive license plate relating thereto

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
A09620 Summary:

BILL NOA09620 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S07951-B

&nbsp

SPONSORLevenberg

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §99-uu, St Fin L; add §67, Hway L; add §404-ff, V & T L

&nbsp

Establishes the native/pollinator planting fund and the pollinator highway program; creates a distinctive native plant and pollinator license plate with the goal of promoting the cultivation and maintenance of native flowering plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering state highways and on other public lands.

Go to top A09620 Actions:

BILL NOA09620 

&nbsp

01/21/2026referred to transportation

Go to topA09620 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA09620 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA09620 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9620

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 21, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to the
 Committee on Transportation

 AN ACT to amend the state finance law, the highway law and the vehicle
 and traffic law, in relation to establishing the native/pollinator
 planting fund, the pollinator highway program and creating distinctive
 native plant or pollinator license plates

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section
 2 99-uu to read as follows:
 3 § 99-uu. Native/pollinator planting fund. 1. There is hereby estab-
 4 lished in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance
 5 and the state comptroller a special fund to be known as the
 6 native/pollinator planting fund. It shall consist of amounts credited to
 7 the fund in accordance with this section.
 8 2. The fund shall consist of: (a) revenue from appropriations or other
 9 money authorized by the state legislature and specifically designated to
 10 be credited to the fund; (b) interest earned on money in the fund; (c)
 11 state and federal grants for green infrastructure projects; and (d)
 12 revenue generated from the sale of a dedicated distinctive license plate
 13 featuring native plant or pollinator imagery. Amounts credited to the
 14 fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remain-
 15 ing in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the
 16 general fund.
 17 3. Money in the fund shall be expended to support the establishment
 18 and implementation of the program established under section sixty-seven
 19 of the highway law, including grants to municipalities and partnerships
 20 with environmental organizations. Priority funding shall be given to
 21 projects demonstrating significant community and environmental benefits.
 22 4. The department of transportation shall annually, not later than
 23 December thirty-first, report on the activity of the fund to: (a) the
 24 chairs of the senate and the assembly environmental conservation commit-
 25 tees; (b) the chairs of the senate and the assembly transportation

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11939-05-6

 A. 9620 2

 1 committees; and (c) the chairs of the senate finance and the assembly
 2 ways and means committees.
 3 § 2. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 67 to read as
 4 follows:
 5 § 67. Pollinator highway program. 1. The department shall establish a
 6 program to promote the cultivation and maintenance of native flowering
 7 plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering state highways and on other
 8 public lands. The department shall establish objectives for the program
 9 including: (a) incorporating native plantings into green infrastructure
 10 solutions, such as rain gardens, bio-swales and permeable landscapes to
 11 reduce runoff, filter pollutants and improve water quality; (b) estab-
 12 lishing and enhancing habitats for pollinators, including bees, butterf-
 13 lies and other beneficial insects by prioritizing plant species native
 14 to the region; and (c) utilizing native vegetation to improve soil
 15 health, sequester carbon and reduce the need for emissions-intensive
 16 maintenance activities such as mowing and pesticide applications.
 17 2. The department, in consultation with t