Bill Text: NY S04425 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that on or before January 1, 2025, in consultation with the department of environmental conservation, the office of general services shall establish a methodology for state agencies to estimate, to the extent practicable, the greenhouse gas emissions that occur through the life cycle of all food and beverages purchased by the state agency, including third-party vendors that provide food on behalf of the state agency; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS [S04425 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04425-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4425

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 8, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Procurement and Contracts

        AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to greenhouse gas emis-
          sions in foods

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

     1    Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 204 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  204.  Greenhouse gas emissions in foods. 1. To track the greenhouse
     4  gas emissions associated with food purchases made by state agencies, the
     5  office of general services shall:
     6    (a) on or before January first, two thousand twenty-five, in consulta-
     7  tion with the department  of  environmental  conservation,  establish  a
     8  methodology  for  state agencies to estimate, to the extent practicable,
     9  the greenhouse gas emissions that occur through the life  cycle  of  all
    10  food  and beverages purchased by the state agency, including third-party
    11  vendors that provide food on behalf of the state agency, that:
    12    (i) will enable a state agency to reliably track changes in its  food-
    13  related greenhouse gas emissions over time and demonstrate reductions in
    14  greenhouse gas emissions associated with food and beverages purchased by
    15  the state agency;
    16    (ii) may allow a state agency to exclude from the tracking method food
    17  and  beverage  procurements that do not exceed fifteen thousand dollars;
    18  and
    19    (iii) considers the costs and feasibility of implementing the tracking
    20  method;
    21    (b) on or before January first, two thousand twenty-six,  establish  a
    22  baseline  measurement  of  the  overall  annual greenhouse gas emissions
    23  associated with the state's food and beverage purchases; and
    24    (c) in consultation with the department of environmental conservation,
    25  establish best practices for state agencies to reduce the greenhouse gas

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08747-01-3
        S. 4425                             2

     1  emissions associated with food and  beverages  purchased  by  the  state
     2  agency  with  the  goal  of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions as
     3  established under paragraph (b) of this subdivision, including recommen-
     4  dations  for  reducing  food  waste  and  decreasing the total amount of
     5  animal-based products purchased.
     6    2. Each state agency shall give consideration and preference to foods,
     7  beverages, and procurement practices that achieve the goal  of  reducing
     8  the   greenhouse  gas  emissions  associated  with  food  and  beverages
     9  purchased by the state agency.
    10    3. It is the goal of the office of  general  services  to  reduce  the
    11  overall  greenhouse  gas  emissions  associated  with food and beverages
    12  purchased by state procurement  according  to  the  following  reduction
    13  schedule as measured in relation to the baseline measurement established
    14  under paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section:
    15    (a)   for  fiscal  year  two  thousand  twenty-seven,  a  ten  percent
    16  reduction;
    17    (b)  for  fiscal  year  two  thousand  thirty,  an  eighteen   percent
    18  reduction; and
    19    (c)  for  fiscal year two thousand thirty-three, a twenty-five percent
    20  reduction.
    21    4. On or before August first,  two  thousand  twenty-seven,  and  each
    22  August first thereafter, each state agency shall report to the office of
    23  general  services on such state agency's progress in reducing the green-
    24  house gas emissions associated with food and beverages procured  by  the
    25  state  agency  during  the immediately preceding fiscal year in a format
    26  set by the office of general services, in consultation with the  depart-
    27  ment  of environmental conservation, and consistent with the methodology
    28  established under paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section.
    29    5. Beginning with the annual report submitted in two thousand  twenty-
    30  seven  as required under subdivision four of this section, the office of
    31  general services shall include in its annual report:
    32    (a) an update on the overall progress of the state in reducing  green-
    33  house  gas  emissions associated with food and beverages procured by the
    34  state; and
    35    (b) recommendations for policy changes to  further  reduce  greenhouse
    36  gas  emissions  from food or to achieve more quickly the reduction goals
    37  established under this section.
    38    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    39  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
    40  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    41  tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
    42  completed on or before such effective date.