STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

7639--A

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

May 14, 2019 ___________

Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, SAYEGH, SIMON, EPSTEIN, COOK, MOSLEY, STECK, D'URSO, JACOBSON, CRUZ, THIELE, HYNDMAN, GALEF, JAFFEE, O'DONNELL, GOTTFRIED, ORTIZ, FAHY, LIFTON, NIOU, BURKE, SEAWRIGHT, COLTON, GLICK, L. ROSENTHAL, WEPRIN, BARNWELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation -- reported and referred to the Committee on Codes -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to enacting the birds and bees protection act; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof

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

1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "birds and bees protection act". 3 § 2. Section 33-1301 of the environmental conservation law is amended 4 by adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows: 5 12. a. Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-one, a manufactur- 6 er shall not sell or offer for sale, any pesticides with the active 7 ingredients clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, 8 acetamiprid, thiacloprid, nithiazine, or fipronil within the state. 9 b. Beginning July first, two thousand twenty-one, a person shall not 10 sell, offer for sale, or use pesticides with the active ingredients 11 clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, 12 thiacloprid, nithiazine, or fipronil within the state. 13 c. By January fifteenth, two thousand twenty-six, the commissioner, in 14 consultation with the commissioner of agriculture and markets, shall 15 report to the legislature on: 16 (1) the latest published and peer-reviewed evidence on whether use of 17 neonicotinoids and fipronil causes unreasonable adverse effects on 18 honeybees, native insect pollinators, and birds; and

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11358-03-9

A. 7639--A 2

1 (2) the impacts, costs, and benefits to resuming the use of such 2 insecticides. 3 d. This subdivision shall not apply to; (i) pet care products used to 4 mitigate fleas, mites, ticks, heartworms, or other animals that are 5 harmful to the health of a domesticated animal; (ii) personal care 6 products used to mitigate lice and bedbugs; (iii) indoor pest control 7 products used to mitigate insects indoors, including ant bait; and (iv) 8 trunk injections to mitigate invasive species. 9 § 3. Section 49-0203 of the environmental conservation law is amended 10 by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows: 11 5. The department shall consider a strategy for the development of 12 pollinator friendly lands including, but not limited to, the planting of 13 vegetation and the use and timing of pesticide applications to protect 14 and promote the health and well-being of pollinators. For the purposes 15 of this subdivision, pollinators shall include birds, bees and other 16 insects that move pollen from one plant to another. 17 § 4. Section 11-0305 of the environmental conservation law is amended 18 by adding three new subdivisions 19, 20 and 21 to read as follows: 19 19. In consultation with the department of state, to develop and 20 distribute to municipal governments a pamphlet on the importance of 21 replacing steady lights on any tower with a flashing light for the 22 purpose of preventing migratory bird mortality. Such pamphlet shall also 23 be made available on the department's and the department of state's 24 websites. 25 20. In consultation with New York state's land grant university, to 26 develop and distribute to all wind turbine applicants and operators in 27 the state information on migratory bird flight routes and timing includ- 28 ing, at a minimum, information on how to minimize negative impacts to 29 migratory birds and their habitats, and current best practices for 30 preventing bird mortalities resulting from impacts with wind turbines. 31 Such information shall also be made available on the department's 32 website. 33 21. In cooperation with the department of transportation, to make 34 recommendations on the species of plantings, mowing, and the use and 35 timing of pesticide applications on right of ways and parkways. 36 § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 37 have become a law; provided, however, that subdivision 12 of section 38 33-1301 of the environmental conservation law, as added by section two 39 of this act, shall expire and be deemed repealed July 1, 2026. Effective 40 immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regu- 41 lation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective 42 date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective 43 date.