STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1686 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, PAULIN, LUPARDO, OTIS, LEVENBERG -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. DINOWITZ, GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, the public service law and the public buildings law, in relation to enacting the healthy, safe and energy efficient outdoor lighting act The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a 2 new article 20 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 20 4 HEALTHY, SAFE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT OUTDOOR LIGHTING ACT 5 Section 20-0101. Legislative findings and policy. 6 20-0103. Short title. 7 20-0105. Definitions. 8 20-0107. Dark-sky preserves. 9 20-0109. Model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance. 10 20-0111. Informational pamphlet. 11 20-0113. Applicability. 12 § 20-0101. Legislative findings and policy. 13 The legislature finds that careful management of outdoor lighting is 14 necessary to protect the health, safety, energy security, environment 15 and general welfare of the people of the state. 16 Until the end of the nineteenth century, waning daylight brought an 17 end to many of mankind's activities. This began to change with the 18 introduction of incandescent lamps, which dramatically increased the 19 range of pursuits possible after dark. Civic, social, cultural, educa- 20 tional, and commercial endeavors now go forward with an ease and freedom 21 unimaginable in earlier times. As the science of lighting evolved, 22 however, technical advancements gradually outstripped the basic require- 23 ment of providing adequate illumination for the task at hand. At least EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04214-01-5
A. 1686 2 1 in the case of outdoor lighting, there is now growing recognition that 2 the consequences are not altogether benign. 3 Increasing scientific and experiential evidence demonstrates that 4 misdirected, unshielded, excessive or unnecessary outdoor night lighting 5 has major detrimental effects. Energy is wasted when illumination is 6 used excessively and inefficiently, causing unnecessary health-threaten- 7 ing emissions from burning of fossil fuels. Such emissions also pollute 8 the state's waters and contribute to global warming. 9 Because the human eye automatically adjusts to the brightest light in 10 view, the glare from unshielded or excessively bright outdoor lighting 11 can actually interfere with the clear perception of other objects in 12 one's field of vision. 13 Inappropriate use of outdoor lighting can have a negative impact on 14 the natural environment, interfering with normal patterns of activity, 15 behavior and physiology of flora and fauna. Recent research has indi- 16 cated that exposure to light at night can upset normal human circadian 17 rhythms, thereby disrupting hormone secretions and weakening the body's 18 immune system. 19 In addition, sky glow from unshielded and unnecessary outdoor lighting 20 thwarts the ages-old human yearning to gaze at, learn from and enjoy the 21 wonders of the night sky. 22 The legislature further finds that cost-effective means and practices 23 exist through appropriate use of fixtures to provide adequate night 24 lighting when needed that is safe and effective but causes minimal light 25 trespass, glare, and sky glow. These means and practices are possible 26 with increased public awareness through education and prudent public 27 action as provided in this article. 28 Therefore, it is the purpose of this article to begin limiting light 29 pollution in the state in a cost-effective and socially feasible manner 30 in order to protect public health, safety and the environment. 31 § 20-0103. Short title. 32 This article shall be known and may be cited as the "healthy, safe and 33 energy efficient outdoor lighting act". 34 § 20-0105. Definitions. 35 As used in this article: 36 1. "Fixture" means a complete lighting unit, including a lamp together 37 with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect 38 the lamp, and to connect the lamp to the power supply. 39 2. "Glare" means light emitted by a fixture that causes discomfort or 40 reduced visibility or momentary blindness. 41 3. "Lamp" means a light bulb or other component of a fixture that 42 changes electricity into visible light. 43 4. "Light pollution" mean any adverse effect of outdoor lighting 44 including, but not limited to, glare and sky glow. 45 5. "Lumen" means a standard unit of measurement of the quantity of 46 light emitted from a lamp, as distinct from "watt", a measure of power 47 consumption. 48 6. "Sky glow" means the illumination of the nighttime sky that results 49 from upward shining light, which is reflected off molecules and parti- 50 cles of dirt and moisture in the atmosphere. 51 § 20-0107. Dark-sky preserves. 52 1. The commissioner in consultation with affected state agencies and 53 local authorities may identify and nominate as "dark-sky preserves" 54 areas of the state which are especially suitable for astronomical obser- 55 vations and/or which provide, due to their darkness, nocturnal benefits
A. 1686 3 1 to flora and fauna, or to citizens desiring views of unpolluted or rela- 2 tively unpolluted night skies. 3 2. Within eighteen months of the nomination of the first dark-sky 4 preserve, the commissioner shall prepare and submit to the governor and 5 legislature for review and approval a proposed plan to preserve these 6 areas as necessary and appropriate to protect astronomical observations 7 and/or flora and fauna. 8 § 20-0109. Model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance. 9 The commissioner, in consultation with the New York state energy 10 research and development authority, the secretary of state and the 11 commissioners of transportation and the office of general services, 12 shall prepare or cause to be prepared and distributed to cities, towns 13 and villages a model comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance for the 14 purpose of saving energy, reducing unnecessary glare and reducing unnec- 15 essary sky glow. 16 § 20-0111. Informational pamphlet. 17 The commissioner, in consultation with the New York state energy 18 research and development authority and giving consideration to the 19 recommended practices adopted by the illuminating engineering society of 20 North America, shall develop and distribute to every municipality and 21 every electric corporation or municipality providing electric service in 22 this state a pamphlet containing information regarding the provisions of 23 this article with respect to outdoor lighting. 24 § 20-0113. Applicability. 25 The provisions of this article are cumulative and supplemental and 26 shall not apply within any county or municipality that, by ordinance or 27 resolution, has adopted provisions restricting light pollution that are 28 as, or more, stringent than the provisions of this article. 29 § 2. Section 44 of the public service law is amended by adding a new 30 subdivision 8 to read as follows: 31 8. The commission shall require every electric corporation or munici- 32 pality providing electric service to send to each customer in its bills 33 a copy of the informational pamphlet relating to outdoor lighting devel- 34 oped by the department of environmental conservation pursuant to section 35 20-0113 of the environmental conservation law. The commission shall 36 coordinate with the department of environmental conservation to ensure 37 that every electric corporation and municipality providing electric 38 service shall receive an adequate supply of such pamphlets suitable for 39 distribution to its customers in their utility bills. 40 § 3. Paragraphs e, i and o of subdivision 1, and paragraph e of subdi- 41 vision 2 of section 143 of the public buildings law, as added by chapter 42 512 of the laws of 2014, are amended and two new paragraphs q and r are 43 added to subdivision 1 to read as follows: 44 e. "Glare" means light emitted by a fixture that causes discomfort or 45 reduced visibility or momentary blindness. 46 i. "Lumen" means a standard unit of measurement of the quantity of 47 light emitted from a lamp as distinct from "watt", a measure of power 48 consumption. 49 o. "Sky glow" means [a condition caused by light directed upwards or 50 sideways reducing one's ability to view the night sky] the illumination 51 of the nighttime sky that results from upward shining light, which is 52 reflected off molecules and particles of dirt and moisture in the atmos- 53 phere. 54 q. "Continuous roadway lighting design" means a lighting plan that 55 estimates light on a roadway from calculations utilizing factors includ- 56 ing, but not limited to, a particular fixture, mounting height, or pole
A. 1686 4 1 spacing, in order to meet a specified goal such as minimum lighting 2 level, uniformity, or small-target visibility. Lighting placed only at 3 intersections or other potentially hazardous locations shall not be 4 considered continuous. 5 r. "Light pollution" means any adverse effect of outdoor lighting 6 including, but not limited to, glare and sky glow. 7 e. For illumination by new permanent outdoor fixtures for applications 8 described in paragraph a, b, c or d of this subdivision, only illumi- 9 nance levels that are no greater than those required for the intended 10 purpose may be used, as established by the commissioner of the office of 11 general services in consultation with the department of transportation 12 and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and 13 given due consideration to lighting industry standards and practices and 14 that met the fixture efficiency and lamp luminous efficacy standards 15 developed pursuant to subdivision five of this section. 16 § 4. Paragraphs g and h of subdivision 3 of section 143 of the public 17 buildings law, as added by chapter 512 of the laws of 2014, are amended 18 and a new paragraph i is added to read as follows: 19 g. to lighting intended for tunnels and roadway underpasses; [or] 20 h. if the combined cost of acquiring and operating a fixture complying 21 with paragraphs a, b and c of this subdivision is more than fifteen 22 percent greater than the cost of acquiring and operating comparable 23 non-compliant fixtures over the life of the lighting system and if a 24 written determination with findings has been made that no compliant 25 fixture exists that would meet the cost limitation[.]; or 26 i. the fixture is a historic-style decorative fixture which is part of 27 a continuous roadway lighting design where the replacement of the 28 fixture piecemeal with compliant fixtures would unacceptably degrade the 29 aesthetic characteristics of the existing lighting design. 30 § 5. Section 143 of the public buildings law is amended by adding two 31 new subdivisions 5 and 6 to read as follows: 32 5. The commissioner of environmental conservation, in consultation 33 with the New York state energy research and development authority, shall 34 develop fixture efficiency and lamp luminous efficacy standards for 35 lighting regulated under this section. For purposes of this section 36 "fixture efficiency" shall mean the percentage of lumens generated by a 37 lamp which actually leave a fixture; and "lamp luminous efficacy" shall 38 mean the amount of light generated by a lamp/ballast system (in lumens) 39 divided by the power it uses (in watts). Such standards shall be promul- 40 gated on or before the effective date of this subdivision and shall take 41 effect one hundred eighty days after such effective date. 42 6. In recognition of the ongoing research into and development of new 43 technologies in the outdoor lighting field, the department of environ- 44 mental conservation, in consultation with the New York state energy 45 research and development authority, shall report to the legislature 46 regarding new findings from research and new technologies that may 47 affect the provisions of this article. Such reporting may include recom- 48 mended amendments to this article to increase its effectiveness in 49 implementing the purposes of achieving healthy, safe and energy effi- 50 cient outdoor lighting. 51 § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 52 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law; provided, however, 53 that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any 54 rule or regulation or development of any standards necessary for the 55 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be 56 made and completed on or before such effective date; and provided
A. 1686 5 1 further that on and after the date on which this act shall have become a 2 law every state agency and public corporation shall comply with the 3 changes to section 143 of the public buildings law as amended by 4 sections three, four and five of this act, but provided further that 5 this act shall not apply to projects for the installation or replacement 6 of permanent outdoor fixtures which have already received final design 7 approval prior to the effective date of this act.