New York A 4615: Enacts the dark skies protection act

Bill Text

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A04615 Summary:

BILL NOA04615 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S09637-A

&nbsp

SPONSORGlick

&nbsp

COSPNSRSchiavoni, Simone

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add Art 18 Title 1 §§18-0101 - 18-0103, Title 2 §§18-0201 - 18-0203, Title 3 §18-0301, Title 4 §18-0401,
Title 5 §18-0501, En Con L

&nbsp

Regulates outdoor night lighting to preserve and enhance the state's dark sky.

Go to top A04615 Actions:

BILL NOA04615 

&nbsp

02/04/2025referred to environmental conservation

01/07/2026referred to environmental conservation

02/10/2026reported referred to codes

Go to topA04615 Committee&nbspVotes:

Committee:ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Chair:Glick 
DATE:02/10/2026AYE/NAY:20/9 Action: Favorable refer to committee Codes GlickAyeSimpsonNay

ColtonAyeSmullenNay

OtisAyeTagueNay

WilliamsAyeManktelowNay

BarrettAyeBrownNay

CarrollAyeLemondesNay

McMahonAyeSlaterNay

BurdickAyeBaileyNay

LunsfordAyeSempolinskiNay

KellesAye

Gonzalez-RojasAye

SeptimoAye

LeeAye

LevenbergExcused

SimoneAye

AndersonAye

ConradAye

LasherAye

SchiavoniAye

KassayAye

KayAye

Go to topA04615 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA04615 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4615

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 4, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Environmental Conservation

 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
 enacting the dark skies protection act

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "dark skies protection act".
 3 § 2. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new
 4 article 18 to read as follows:
 5 ARTICLE 18
 6 LIGHT POLLUTION CONTROL
 7 Title 1. Short title, declaration of purpose, general definitions.
 8 2. Lighting fixtures.
 9 3. Exemptions.
 10 4. Preemption.
 11 5. Department responsibility.
 12 TITLE 1
 13 SHORT TITLE, DECLARATION OF PURPOSE, GENERAL DEFINITIONS
 14 Section 18-0101. Short title.
 15 18-0102. Declaration of purpose.
 16 18-0103. General definitions.
 17 § 18-0101. Short title.
 18 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "dark skies protection
 19 act".
 20 § 18-0102. Declaration of purpose.
 21 The purpose of this article is to regulate outdoor night lighting to
 22 preserve and enhance the state's dark sky while promoting safety for
 23 people, birds, and other wildlife, conserving energy and reducing our
 24 carbon footprint, and preserving the aesthetic qualities of the night
 25 sky.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03222-02-5

 A. 4615 2

 1 § 18-0103. General definitions.
 2 For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall mean:
 3 1. "Outdoor lighting fixture" means an outdoor artificial illuminating
 4 device, whether permanent or portable, used for illumination or adver-
 5 tisement, including but not limited to searchlights, spotlights, and
 6 floodlights, whether for architectural lighting, parking lot lighting,
 7 landscape lighting, billboards or street lighting.
 8 2. "Shielded" means a fixture that is shielded in such a manner that
 9 light rays emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or
 10 indirectly from the fixture, are projected below a horizontal plane
 11 running through the lowest point on the fixture where light is emitted.
 12 3. "Municipality" shall mean a county, city, town, or village.
 13 4. "Governing board" includes the board of supervisors of a county,
 14 the town board of a town, the common council of a city, and the board of
 15 trustees of a village.
 16 TITLE 2
 17 LIGHTING FIXTURES
 18 Section 18-0201. Shielding of outdoor lighting fixtures.
 19 18-0202. Nonconforming lighting fixtures.
 20 18-0203. Outdoor recreational facilities.
 21 § 18-0201. Shielding of outdoor lighting fixtures.
 22 All outdoor lighting fixtures shall be shielded after January first,
 23 two thousand twenty-eight, including but not limited to outdoor lighting
 24 fixtures installed at residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal
 25 bu