Bill Text: NY A03249 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Requires the establishment of a composting program at the state university of New York, the city university of New York and institutions subject to the jurisdiction of SUNY or CUNY.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-02 - print number 3249a [A03249 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A03249-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3249

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 2, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Higher Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing  compost-
          ing  programs  at  state university of New York and city university of
          New York campuses

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

     1    Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 22 to read as follows:
     3    22.  a. (i) The state university trustees shall adopt a policy requir-
     4  ing that each institution of the state university of New York shall, not
     5  later than one year after the effective date of this subdivision, estab-
     6  lish a composting program in facilities owned, occupied or  operated  by
     7  such institution that shall, at a minimum:
     8    (A)  require  that all compostable waste, including but not limited to
     9  food scraps, plant trimmings, food-soiled paper and certified  composta-
    10  ble  products from garbage and other recyclables be separated and placed
    11  in labeled containers;
    12    (B) post and maintain signs with instructions on identifying and sepa-
    13  rating compostable waste from garbage and recyclables;
    14    (C) ensure that students and  employees  place  compostable  waste  in
    15  appropriately  labeled containers and do not mix such waste with garbage
    16  or recyclables;
    17    (D) ensure that containers are latched at the time of storage or  set-
    18  out; and
    19    (E)  arrange  for compostable waste to be transported and/or processed
    20  separately from garbage and recycling.
    21    (ii) For the purposes of clause (E) of subparagraph (i) of this  para-
    22  graph,  each institution may arrange for collection of compostable waste
    23  by a private carter, transport such waste itself or process  such  waste
    24  on-site.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04748-01-3
        A. 3249                             2

     1    b. As used in this subdivision:
     2    (i)  "compostable"  means  all  the  materials in the product will (A)
     3  undergo degradation by biological processes during composting  to  yield
     4  carbon  dioxide,  water,  inorganic  compounds,  and  biomass  at a rate
     5  consistent with other known compostable  materials;  and  (B)  leave  no
     6  visible,  distinguishable  or toxic residue, including no adverse impact
     7  on the ability of composts to support plant  growth  once  the  finished
     8  compost is placed in soil.
     9    (ii)  "facility"  includes any dormitory as defined in section sixteen
    10  hundred seventy-six of the public authorities law and the grounds there-
    11  on, a cafeteria, dining hall  or  restaurant  service  operated  by  the
    12  institution or by a private food service management company, and facili-
    13  ties used for maintenance and landscaping services.
    14    (iii)  "employee",  in  addition  to  every member of the professional
    15  service and non-professional service of the state university, as defined
    16  in section three hundred fifty-five-a of this article, means any  person
    17  employed  by  a  third-party  to render non-professional services to the
    18  university or an institution under the jurisdiction thereof pursuant  to
    19  a contract therefor, including, but not limited to, cafeteria or restau-
    20  rant  services,  landscaping services and maintenance services performed
    21  at a facility and the surrounding campus.
    22    c. Beginning one year after the establishment of the program  pursuant
    23  to paragraph a of this subdivision, and annually thereafter, each insti-
    24  tution  shall report to the trustees on such program, including, but not
    25  limited to (i) the amount of compostable waste collected; and  (ii)  the
    26  costs associated with such program.
    27    d.  By December first, two thousand twenty-six, and annually thereaft-
    28  er, the trustees shall post a report on  its  website  detailing  agency
    29  composting  programs  in  the state. Such report shall include an evalu-
    30  ation of the effectiveness of such composting programs, and  information
    31  on costs and collection rates.
    32    §  2.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
    33  subdivision 22 to read as follows:
    34    22. a. (i) The board of trustees shall adopt a policy  requiring  that
    35  each  institution  of  the  city university of New York shall, not later
    36  than one year after the effective date of this subdivision, establish  a
    37  composting  program  in  facilities  owned, occupied or operated by such
    38  institution that shall, at a minimum:
    39    (A) require that all compostable waste including but  not  limited  to
    40  food  scraps, plant trimmings, food-soiled paper and certified composta-
    41  ble products from garbage and other recyclables be separated and  placed
    42  in labeled containers;
    43    (B) post and maintain signs with instructions on identifying and sepa-
    44  rating compostable waste from garbage and recyclables;
    45    (C)  ensure  that  students  and  employees place compostable waste in
    46  appropriately labeled containers and do not mix such waste with  garbage
    47  or recyclables;
    48    (D)  ensure that containers are latched at the time of storage or set-
    49  out; and
    50    (E) arrange for compostable waste to be transported  and/or  processed
    51  separately from garbage and recycling.
    52    (ii)  For the purposes of clause (E) of subparagraph (i) of this para-
    53  graph, each institution may arrange for collection of compostable  waste
    54  by  a  private carter, transport such waste itself or process such waste
    55  on-site.
    56    b. As used in this subdivision:
        A. 3249                             3

     1    (i) "compostable" means all the materials  in  the  product  will  (A)
     2  undergo  degradation  by biological processes during composting to yield
     3  carbon dioxide, water,  inorganic  compounds,  and  biomass  at  a  rate
     4  consistent  with  other  known  compostable  materials; and (B) leave no
     5  visible,  distinguishable  or toxic residue, including no adverse impact
     6  on the ability of composts to support plant  growth  once  the  finished
     7  compost is placed in soil.
     8    (ii)  "facility"  includes any dormitory as defined in section sixteen
     9  hundred seventy-six of the public authorities law and the grounds there-
    10  on, a cafeteria, dining hall  or  restaurant  service  operated  by  the
    11  institution or by a private food service management company, and facili-
    12  ties used for maintenance and landscaping services.
    13    (iii)  "employee",  in  addition to all instructional and non-instruc-
    14  tional staff members, means any person  employed  by  a  third-party  to
    15  render  non-professional  services to the city university of New York or
    16  an institution under the jurisdiction thereof  pursuant  to  a  contract
    17  therefor,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  cafeteria  or  restaurant
    18  services, landscaping services and maintenance services performed  at  a
    19  facility and the grounds thereon.
    20    c.  Beginning one year after the establishment of the program pursuant
    21  to paragraph a of this subdivision, and annually thereafter, each insti-
    22  tution shall report to the trustees on such program, including, but  not
    23  limited  to  (i) the amount of compostable waste collected; and (ii) the
    24  costs associated with such program.
    25    d. By December first, two thousand twenty-six, and annually  thereaft-
    26  er,  the  trustees  shall  post a report on its website detailing agency
    27  composting programs in the state. Such report shall  include  an  evalu-
    28  ation  of the effectiveness of such composting programs, and information
    29  on costs and collection rates.
    30    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.