New York : 2025-2026 Regular Session : BILL S08529

Introduced

🔗 Link to New York website 🔗 Link to Legiscan

Prohibits the intentional injection, release or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather or the intensity of sunlight; provides the department will establish a reporting process for violations; provides penalties for such violations.

Sponsor: Sen Alexis Weik & Sen Steven Rhoads

Bill Details

GeoLawWatch Bill Summary

New York Senate Bill 8529-A sets up a broad ban on geoengineering and creates a system to enforce it. The bill changes both the Environmental Conservation Law and the State Finance Law to do this.

Prohibition: The bill prohibits, by any means, the intentional injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within New York's borders into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight (new section 19-0330).

Citizen Reporting System: Anyone who sees a possible violation of geoengineering or weather modification can report it to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Reports can be sent online, by phone, mail, or email. The department must provide a public email address and online form for these reports. It also needs to create a process for reviewing and investigating reports that require more attention.

Mandatory Infrastructure Operator Reporting: Public infrastructure operators must submit monthly reports to the department. These reports should list any aircraft they see, record, or document that might carry equipment for geoengineering or weather modification. The reports must include the aircraft's registration number, type, date, time, and the reason for identifying it. The department can seek assistance from the Department of Health, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Transportation, or other agencies as needed.

Criminal Penalties - General Violators: Any person, including any public or private corporation, who conducts a geoengineering or weather modification activity in violation shall be guilty of a class E felony. When the violator is a corporation, its officers, directors, or employees shall be guilty of a class E felony. Each violation constitutes a separate offence.

Criminal Penalties - Aircraft Operators: Aircraft operators or controllers who violate the prohibition are guilty of a class E felony. Upon conviction, they face a fine of up to $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison. Each violation is a separate offence. The Department deposits all fines for violations into the Air Quality Improvement Fund under section 99-rr of the State Finance Law. The department will establish rules and regulations to implement the new section.

Unusual Provisions: The bill establishes a complex system for monitoring and reporting, using both citizen reports and monthly checks by public infrastructure operators. Asking operators to report aircraft that "may be" equipped for geoengineering makes it unclear exactly when they need to report. Making corporate officers, directors, and employees personally responsible for felonies, rather than just the company, is a significant step. The bill also creates separate criminal penalties for aircraft operators, which shows lawmakers are especially concerned about using aircraft for these activities.

History

Senate bill S08529 took an unusual path, being referred to the Rules Committee in mid-October 2025 rather than a substantive policy committee. The Rules Committee typically handles scheduling and procedural matters rather than policy review. On December 8, 2025, the bill was amended (the "(T)" notation indicates a technical amendment) and recommitted to Rules, resulting in a new print number, S08529A. This December amendment activity—well after the 2025 session formally ended—suggests sponsors were positioning the bill for the 2026 session.

The January 7, 2026, referral to Environmental Conservation marks a significant shift: the bill moved from the procedural Rules Committee to the substantive policy committee that will actually evaluate its merits. This committee assignment gives S08529A its first real opportunity for policy consideration and hearings. The December amendments and strategic committee placement suggest active sponsor engagement and potentially improved prospects compared to its companion Assembly bill.

Wed 15 Oct 2025 REFERRED TO RULES
Mon 08 Dec 2025 AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO RULES
Mon 08 Dec 2025 PRINT NUMBER 8529A
Wed 07 Jan 2026 REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Consolidated Bill Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
8529--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
October 15, 2025
Introduced by Sen. WEIK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law and the state finance law, in relation to prohibiting the release of certain chemical compounds into the atmosphere
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 19-0330 to read as follows:
Section 19-0330. Release of certain chemical compounds prohibited.

The intentional injection, release or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather or the intensity of sunlight is prohibited.
Any person who observes a geoengineering or weather modification activity conducted in violation of this section may report such observed violation to the department online or by telephone, mail, or e-mail.

(a) The department shall establish an e-mail address and an online form for individuals to report observed violations of this section. The department shall make the e-mail address and online form publicly accessible on its website.
(b) The department shall establish a method for intake and screening of the reports made pursuant to this section. The department shall investigate any report that warrants further review to determine whether a violation of this section occurred.
(c) The department may request assistance from the department of health, the division of homeland security and emergency services, the department of transportation, or any other appropriate agency.

All operators of public infrastructure shall report monthly to the department, using a method determined by the department. Such reports shall identify any aircraft observed, recorded, or documented that may be equipped, modified, or configured for geoengineering or weather modification activities; including the aircraft's registration number, type, date and time of observation, and the basis for such identification.
The department shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this section.

Section 2. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 71-2114 to read as follows:
Section 71-2114. Violations of section 19-0330 of article 19 of this chapter.

Any person, including any public or private corporation, who conducts a geoengineering or weather modification activity in violation of section 19-0330 of this chapter shall be guilty of a class E felony. Where the violator of such section is a corporation, the officers, directors, or employees of such corporation shall be guilty of a class E felony. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Where the violator of such section is an aircraft operator or controller, such person shall be guilty of a class E felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars and by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Any fines collected for violations of section 19-0330 of this chapter shall be deposited into the air quality improvement fund, in accordance with the provisions of section ninety-nine-rr of the state finance law.

Section 3. Subdivision 1 of section 71-2105 of the environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 99 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:

Except as provided in section 71-2113 and 71-2114 of this title, any person who shall wilfully violate any of the provisions of article 19 of this chapter or any code, rule or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto or any final determination or order of the commissioner made pursuant to article 19 of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine, in the case of a first conviction, of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than eighteen thousand dollars or by imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, for each separate violation. If the conviction is for an offense committed after the first conviction of such person under this subdivision, such person shall be punished by a fine not to exceed twenty-six thousand dollars, or by imprisonment, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day on which such violation occurs shall constitute a separate violation.

Section 4. Subdivision 2 of section 99-rr of the state finance law, as added by section 7 of part T of chapter 58 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:

Such fund shall consist of revenues received by the state pursuant to section 19-0328 of the environmental conservation law, fines collected pursuant to subdivision three of section 71-2114 of the environmental conservation law and all other moneys, appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law.

Section 5. This act shall take effect immediately.