New York S 1869: Imposes a highway use fee on outdoor advertising; establishes a New York state urban reforestation fund and makes provisions supporting urban forestry

Bill Text

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S01869 Summary:

BILL NOS01869 

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SAME ASSAME AS A02172

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SPONSORMAY

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §88, Hway L; add §91-h, St Fin L; amd §53-0303, add §53-0309, En Con L

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Imposes a highway use fee on outdoor advertising; establishes a New York state urban reforestation fund from fees imposed on outdoor advertising; makes provisions supporting urban forestry.

Go to top S01869 Actions:

BILL NOS01869 

&nbsp

01/14/2025REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

Go to topS01869 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01869 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS01869 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1869

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 14, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

 AN ACT to amend the highway law, the state finance law and the environ-
 mental conservation law, in relation to imposing a highway use fee on
 outdoor advertising, establishing a New York state urban reforestation
 fund and making provisions supporting urban forestry

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

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "urban
 2 reforestation act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that
 4 planting trees in urban areas helps to preserve the environment, promote
 5 health, mitigate air pollution and enhance the urban environment. Trees
 6 absorb pollution, produce oxygen, and provide shade and block winds in a
 7 manner that conserves both costs and energy. Tree-lined streets offer
 8 aesthetic appeal, improve property values and provide tangible physical
 9 benefits to improve the pedestrian experience. The legislature also
 10 finds that the stated purposes of article 53 of the environmental
 11 conservation law relating to urban forestry could be better achieved if
 12 a method of funding existed exclusively for such purpose.
 13 Therefore, it is the intent of this act to create a New York state
 14 urban reforestation fund, which shall be a source of money used to
 15 promote the planting, conservation and maintenance of trees in certain
 16 urban areas of this state in order to produce important economic, envi-
 17 ronmental and physical benefits. This fund shall be a source of money
 18 used exclusively for the purposes of urban forestry as provided in arti-
 19 cle 53 of the environmental conservation law.
 20 § 3. Section 88 of the highway law is amended by adding a new subdivi-
 21 sion 5-a to read as follows:
 22 5-a. (a) There is hereby imposed on outdoor advertising signs which
 23 are visible from interstate and primary system highways, a fee as

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00607-01-5

 S. 1869 2

 1 provided in this subdivision. Official signs, on-premises signs, direc-
 2 tion signs, and signs owned by persons with five or fewer billboards
 3 shall be exempt from such a fee.
 4 (b) In cities with a population of one million or more, such fees
 5 shall be collected by the city annually. In all other areas of the
 6 state, such fee shall be collected by the commissioner as part of the
 7 process of regulation of outdoor advertising.
 8 (c) All billboard faces visible from interstate and primary system
 9 highways shall pay an annual fee of one thousand dollars.
 10 (d) The state commissioner of transportation, and cities with a popu-
 11 lation of one million or more shall deposit the revenue collected pursu-
 12 ant to this subdivision in the New York state urban reforestation fund
 13 pursuant to section ninety-one-h of the state finance law.
 14 (e) Any person who violates any provision of this subdivision, or any
 15 rule, regulation, or order promulgated pursuant thereto shall be liable
 16 for a minimum civil penalty of five hundred dollars and an additional
 17 civil penalty of one hundred dollars a day for each day during which
 18 each such violation continues. Every civil penalty that is assessed
 19 pursuant to this section shall be credit