New York’s 2026 legislative session begins in Albany on Wednesday, January 7, amid heightened concerns about state budget shortfalls and affordability. Save the Sound acknowledges these challenges but also recognizes the urgency to strengthen state-level policy and funding to protect clean water and habitats, coastlines, and communities from the increasing impacts of climate change.
“We are all aware of the unique circumstances we will face in 2026, but we cannot go backwards. New York must continue to lead by funding the crucial work that protects clean water and healthy habitats in the Long Island Sound region and across the state. And we must move forward with existing policies to protect all New Yorkers from extreme weather caused by climate change,” said David Ansel, vice president of the Center for Water Protection at Save the Sound. “Increased stormwater runoff and wastewater pollution means more trash and chemicals entering the Sound, posing a threat to wildlife and creating a major public health concern. New York must stop these pollutants at the source, keeping them out of our waterways, communities, and lives. Delaying action will result in significantly higher costs for New York taxpayers in the future, and the pollution problems and climate consequences will only worsen the longer we wait. The most affordable approach is to invest in our future now, and we look forward to collaborating with the Governor and legislators to build a cleaner, safer, more resilient New York.”
At the start of the 2026 New York legislative session, Save the Sound’s priorities include:
Clean Water & Healthy Watersheds
- Maintain state environmental funding at least at current levels, appropriate to the challenges we face:
- $500 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act, which funds the upgrade of aging and failing wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. This appropriation should kickstart a commitment to dedicate $4.5 billion to the CWIA over the next five years.
- $425 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, without offloads. We strongly oppose the raiding of the EPF to support agency staffing costs.
- $200 million for capital projects at State Parks and $90 million for capital projects at Department of Environmental Conservation sites.
- Maintain agency staffing levels at DEC, Department of Health, and Environmental Facilities Corporation.
- Continued implementation of the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act for projects related to water quality, green infrastructure, and resiliency in the Long Island Sound region and across the state.
- Fully fund the Interstate Environmental Commission ($96,323), as required by the Tri-State Compact, allowing the IEC to qualify for federal matching funds.
- Continue the state’s transition to advanced septic systems by passing S3055/A4659, which will exempt systems that utilize enhanced treatment technologies from NYS sales and use tax. These enhanced systems reduce nitrogen pollution, which is still the primary threat to water quality in Long Island Sound.
- Expand the Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring and Prevention Act (S1833A/A5150A) to establish statewide tracking, funding, and information sources to best respond to and prevent HABs in both saline and freshwater bodies. Long Island Sound and other waterbodies across New York are seeing increased instances of Harmful Algal Blooms, which can sicken and kill wildlife, close beaches, and endanger swimmers.
Wildlife Protection
- Develop best practices for preventing whale strikes and harassment of any marine mammal through the Whale Awareness Act (S2292A/A8515) and require vessels to implement whale strike prevention plans through S7718.
Climate, Resiliency, & Justice
- Fully and swiftly implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The sooner we act, the less expensive it will be. When it comes to addressing the causes of climate change, we cannot afford to wait.
- Allocate another $1 billion to the Sustainable Future Program to help fund New York’s transition away from fossil fuels and enact the Stop Climate Polluter Handouts Act (S3606A/A3675A) to end many of the egregious subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, which receives more than $1 billion from NYS taxpayers every year.
- Establish an Office of Resiliency through the Climate Resilient New York Act (S3590/A8088A), which would create a statewide resiliency plan that considers nature-based solutions.
- Empower water and sewer authorities to manage stormwater by passing the Rain Ready New York Act (S4071/A7467A).
- Ensure residents of New York’s designated disadvantaged communities have a voice in the siting of polluting facilities in their communities. S4513/A2417 would require facility owners to engage residents and hear their concerns in a public forum.
Toxins & Contaminants
- Reduce plastic packaging waste through the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464/A1749), which requires large producers to pay for the disposal of packaging waste and cut their plastic packaging by 30% within 12 years. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S5684/A6543) would expand the existing bottle deposit program, incentivizing the collection of plastic containers that otherwise litter our streets, beaches, parks, and playgrounds.
- Turn off the tap on toxic forever chemicals known as PFAS through the PFAS in Consumer and Household Products Act (S187A/A7738), which would ban the use of PFAS in a range of common products, from dental floss to cleaning supplies to cookware, for which safe alternatives exist, and the Beauty Justice Act (S2057A/A2054A), which would ban PFAS and other toxins from beauty and self-care products.
- Identify where PFAS enters our environment through the PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act (S4574B/A5832B), which requires certain high-risk facilities to periodically test their water discharges for PFAS, and pursuant to S5759C/A6192D institute a five-year moratorium on the sale and use of biosolids, pausing the practice of using sewage sludge (which often contains PFAS) as fertilizer.
- Adopt the minimum contamination levels for PFAS in drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024.
- Support the recommendations put forth by the Adirondack Road Salt Task Force, which will protect freshwater ecosystems and drinking water sources across the state.