S8110

The New York State Senate passed legislation Tuesday to reconvene the State Sea Level Rise Task Force, a measure originally enacted over a decade ago, as lawmakers grapple with increasingly frequent flooding events across the state. Senate Print 8110, sponsored by Sen. Martinez, passed on a 58-0 roll call vote. The bill aims to address evolving threats from sea level rise and coastal community resilience without duplicating existing agency work, while also protecting animal habitats and preserving biodiversity. The measure's passage came after the chamber rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. Helming that would have created a separate task force specifically focused on flooding impacts to homeowners. Acting President Persaud ruled Helming's amendment nongermane to the bill, and when Helming appealed the ruling, senators voted 20-0 in a show of hands to sustain the chair's decision. Helming argued the amendment was directly relevant, citing recent devastating flooding in the Finger Lakes region and along Lake Ontario in 2017, 2018, 2019, and July 2023 that left homeowners with thousands of dollars in damages. She contended the task force should include industry experts, homebuilders associations, and insurance industry representatives to develop comprehensive resilience strategies. Martinez said the reconvened task force would build on prior efforts and help the state adapt to what she characterized as recurring rather than one-off flooding threats.