Establishes the mechanical insulation energy savings program, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2457--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported  favorably  from
   said  committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to  establishing
   the mechanical insulation energy savings program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public authorities law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 1885 to read as follows:
   §  1885. MECHANICAL INSULATION ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM. 1. DEFINITIONS.
 FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "APPLICANT" SHALL  MEAN  ANY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  PUBLIC  HOSPITAL,
 PUBLIC  HOUSING  BUILDING,  OR  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISION AS DEFINED IN THE
 GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW, WITH A BUILDING OR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE  A  POTEN-
 TIAL  NEED FOR MECHANICAL INSULATION UPGRADES.  THE MINIMUM SIZE FOR ANY
 SINGLE BUILDING TO BE CONSIDERED SHALL BE TWENTY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
   (B) "MECHANICAL INSULATION" SHALL MEAN INSULATION  MATERIALS,  FACINGS
 AND  ACCESSORY  PRODUCTS  USED  FOR  THERMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MECHANICAL
 PIPING AND EQUIPMENT, HOT AND COLD APPLICATIONS,  HEATING,  VENTILATION,
 AND AIR-CONDITIONING APPLICATIONS.
   (C)  "QUALIFIED  AUDIT"  SHALL MEAN A MECHANICAL INSULATION AUDIT OF A
 BUILDING BY A QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR, WHICH IDENTIFIES MISSING, DAMAGED OR
 IMPROPERLY INSTALLED MECHANICAL INSULATION. SUCH AUDIT SHALL INCLUDE  AN
 ESTIMATE  OF  INSTALLATION  COSTS  ALONG  WITH ESTIMATED ENERGY AND COST
 SAVINGS. SUCH AUDIT SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR AT  NO
 COST TO THE AUTHORITY OR APPLICANT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06367-06-5
 S. 2457--B                          2
 
   (D)  "QUALIFIED  MECHANICAL  INSULATION  EXPENDITURES"  SHALL MEAN THE
 PURCHASE OF INSULATION MATERIALS, FACINGS AND  ACCESSORY  PRODUCTS  USED
 FOR  THERMAL  REQUIREMENTS  FOR MECHANICAL PIPING AND EQUIPMENT, HOT AND
 COLD APPLICATIONS, AND HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING APPLI-
 CATIONS  AND  ALL  ASSOCIATED  LABOR COSTS PROPERLY ALLOCABLE TO ON-SITE
 PREPARATION, ASSEMBLY AND ORIGINAL INSTALLATION, SO LONG AS PERFORMED BY
 A QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS TWO HUNDRED TWEN-
 TY, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-B AND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-I OF THE LABOR LAW.
   (E) "QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR" SHALL MEAN AN INSULATION CONTRACTOR THAT IS
 PARTY TO AN  APPRENTICESHIP  AGREEMENT,  AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  EIGHT
 HUNDRED SIXTEEN OF THE LABOR LAW, WHICH IS IN GOOD STANDING, APPROPRIATE
 FOR  THE  TYPE  AND SCOPE OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED, INCLUDING THE MINIMUM
 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEATING, REFRIGERATING, AND  AIR-CONDITIONING  ENGI-
 NEERS  STANDARD  90.1-2007,  PROVIDING THE ENERGY STANDARD FOR BUILDINGS
 EXCEPT LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
   2. THE AUTHORITY IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED  TO  ESTABLISH  AND
 ADMINISTER  A  MECHANICAL  INSULATION  ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE
 APPLICANTS WITH QUALIFIED AUDITS AND GRANTS TO PURCHASE MECHANICAL INSU-
 LATION.   THE AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH  AN  AUDIT  PROCESS  WHEREBY  AN
 APPLICANT  MAY REQUEST A QUALIFIED AUDIT. SUCH AUDIT, IF APPROVED BY THE
 AUTHORITY, SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THE APPLICANT AT NO COST.
   3. AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM,  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL  ISSUE  GRANTS  FOR
 APPLICANTS  THAT  HAVE COMPLETED A QUALIFIED AUDIT, WHICH WILL COVER ONE
 HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE QUALIFIED MECHANICAL INSULATION EXPENDITURES.
   4. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE AUTHORI-
 TY SHALL ESTABLISH RULES AND REGULATIONS AND IDENTIFY  ELIGIBLE  FUNDING
 TO  CREATE  THE  MECHANICAL INSULATION ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM AND CREATE
 GUIDELINES FOR PREFERRED APPLICANTS, BUILDINGS AND ENERGY SAVINGS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.