New York A 5156: Requires public arbitration panel to which a dispute is referred to consider above all other factors the financial ability of the public employer to pay, as defined

Bill Text

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A05156 Summary:

BILL NOA05156A

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORBurke

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COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 17 Title 23 §§17-2301 & 17-2303, §71-1947, En Con L

&nbsp

Creates a Great Lakes and state waters bill of rights that declares the right of the Great Lakes and state waters to exist, flourish and naturally evolve.

Go to top A05156 Actions:

BILL NOA05156A

&nbsp

02/12/2025referred to environmental conservation

03/19/2025amend (t) and recommit to environmental conservation

03/19/2025print number 5156a

01/07/2026referred to environmental conservation

Go to topA05156 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA05156 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA05156 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 5156--A

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 12, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Environmental Conservation -- committee discharged, bill amended,
 ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
 creating the Great Lakes and State Waters Bill of Rights

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

 1 Section 1. Article 17 of the environmental conservation law is amended
 2 by adding a new title 23 to read as follows:
 3 TITLE 23
 4 GREAT LAKES AND STATE WATERS BILL OF RIGHTS
 5 Section 17-2301. Declaration of rights.
 6 17-2303. Violations.
 7 § 17-2301. Declaration of rights.
 8 1. Rights of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The Great Lakes, and the
 9 watersheds that drain into the Great Lakes and their connecting chan-
 10 nels, as well as the watersheds and ecosystems throughout the state of
 11 New York, shall possess the unalienable and fundamental rights to exist,
 12 persist, flourish, naturally evolve, regenerate and be restored by
 13 culpable parties, free from human violations of these rights and unen-
 14 cumbered by legal privileges vested in property, including corporate
 15 property. The Great Lakes ecosystem, as well as the watersheds and
 16 ecosystems throughout the state of New York, shall include all natural
 17 water features, communities of organisms, soil, aquifers, as well as
 18 terrestrial and aquatic sub ecosystems that are part of the Great Lakes
 19 and their watersheds and connecting channels.
 20 2. Right to a clean and healthy environment. The people and the
 21 natural environment, including each ecosystem and watershed within the
 22 state of New York shall possess the right to a clean and healthy envi-
 23 ronment, which shall include the right to clean and healthy Great Lakes
 24 and the Great Lakes ecosystem.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07022-03-5

 A. 5156--A 2

 1 3. Right to freedom from toxic trespass. The people of the state of
 2 New York, as well as the Great Lakes ecosystem, and the watersheds that
 3 drain into the Great Lakes and their connecting channels, as well as the
 4 watersheds and ecosystems throughout the state of New York, shall
 5 possess a fundamental and unalienable right to the integrity of their
 6 bodies, ecosystems and physical aspects, and to be free from toxic tres-
 7 pass upon or within them; therefore, the right to be free from toxic
 8 trespass shall not be violated. As used herein, the term "toxic tres-
 9 pass" shall mean the intentional, unwitting, involuntary or neglectful
 10 deposition of toxic or potentially toxic substances within a human or
 11 non-human body or ecosystem.
 12 4. Right to freedom from monetization. The Great Lakes and the
 13 watersheds and ecosystems throughout the state of New York shall possess
 14 the unalienable and fundamental rights not be owned, privatized or mone-
 15 tized. These rights shall include emancipation from all claims of vested
 16 property rights to the extent that such rights purport to allow the
 17 violation of the rights of the Great Lakes ecosystem, the watersheds and
 18 ecosystems throughout the state of New York, or the people of the state
 19 of New York. Prohibited monetization of the Great Lakes ecosystem