New York S 6071: Creates the "Pennies for Parks" program providing funds for capital expenditures at state parks and historic sites; imposes a fee on single use plastic carryout bags

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S06071 Summary:

BILL NOS06071 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORPARKER

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §13.32, Pks & Rec L; add §1105-C, Tax L; add §92-k, St Fin L

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Creates the "Pennies for Parks" program providing funds for capital expenditures at state parks and historic sites; imposes fee of five cents on single use carryout bags; establishes the pennies for parks fund to hold funds received from the fee on single use carryout bags.

Go to top S06071 Actions:

BILL NOS06071 

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03/05/2025REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

Go to topS06071 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06071 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS06071 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6071

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 5, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
 Parks and Recreation

 AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
 relation to creating the "Pennies for Parks" program providing funds
 for capital expenditures at state parks, historic sites and city
 parks; to amend the tax law, in relation to imposing a fee on single
 use plastic carryout bags; and to amend the state finance law, in
 relation to establishing the pennies for parks fund

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

 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds and
 2 declares that state parks, historic sites and city parks enhance the
 3 character and quality of life and enhance the economic vitality of local
 4 communities and provide healthy and affordable recreational and educa-
 5 tional opportunities to New York state residents and visitors. If
 6 allowed to fall into disrepair, state parks, historic sites as well as
 7 city parks may become inaccessible and uninviting to the public. Once
 8 closed or sold, state parks and historic sites are difficult, if not
 9 impossible, to recover or rehabilitate. Accordingly, state parks,
 10 historic sites and city parks should be provided necessary capital fund-
 11 ing in a manner which is cognizant of their aforementioned intrinsic
 12 values.
 13 The legislature also finds and declares that the single use plastic
 14 carryout bags distributed by New York retailers have a negative impact
 15 on the environment, littering our communities, parks and beaches; fill-
 16 ing our landfills; harming wildlife; and using millions of trees and
 17 gallons of oil to produce. An additional economic incentive should be
 18 put in place to encourage the use of reusable bags and reduce the stream
 19 of single use plastic carryout bags.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD10593-01-5

 S. 6071 2

 1 It is hereby declared to be the public policy and in the public inter-
 2 est of this state to establish a comprehensive program to provide a
 3 dedicated funding stream for our state parks, historic sites and city
 4 parks. Such a dedicated funding stream should be devoted as supplemental
 5 to the existing budget of the office of parks, recreation and historic
 6 preservation. The funding stream should be created by imposing a five
 7 cent fee on each single use plastic carryout bag distributed by retail-
 8 ers in New York, to be collected and used to fund capital projects in
 9 state parks, historic sites and city parks. In order to meet the afore-
 10 mentioned goals and uphold the cultural fabric and integrity of the
 11 system of state parks, and historic sites and city parks, the "Pennies
 12 for Parks" program, a fee on single use plastic carryout bags and
 13 pennies for parks fund are established and codified in sections 13.32 of
 14 the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, 1105-C of the tax
 15 law and 92-k of the state finance law.
 16 § 2. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by
 17 adding a new section 13.32 to read as follows:
 18 § 13.32 Pennies for parks. Th