Relates to the climate change adaptation cost recovery program and requirements for climate change adaptive infrastructure projects

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jeffrey Dinowitz

S824 creates a climate adaptation cost-recovery program and sets standards for adaptive infrastructure, guiding utilities and municipalities while protecting ratepayers.

SUBSTITUTED BY S824

Summary: Bill A 1474 — Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery and Adaptive Infrastructure Requirements

Overview

Bill A 1474, introduced January 9, 2025 by Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, relates to establishing a climate change adaptation cost recovery program and setting requirements for climate change adaptive infrastructure projects. The bill has been substituted by S 824, meaning S824 will carry the comparable or final form of the legislation. S824 is noted as the companion bill. The current status shows A 1474 as substituted and not moving forward in its own right; readers should consult S824 for the enacted text.

Purpose and scope

The central aim is to create or expand a framework that allows for recovery of costs associated with climate adaptation projects, paired with requirements governing the design, approval, and implementation of climate change adaptive infrastructure.

The intended effect is to bolster resilience to climate impacts (e.g., flooding, extreme weather, heat, sea‑level rise) by enabling funding mechanisms and enforcing standards for adaptive infrastructure.

Key provisions (what the bill would address in practice)

Note: The exact text of A 1474 is superseded by S824, but typical elements under this topic include:
- Establishment of a climate change adaptation cost recovery program administered by a state agency or similar entity.
- Eligibility criteria for projects to be considered “climate change adaptive infrastructure,” including design standards, resilience criteria, and alignment with broader climate adaptation plans.
- Mechanisms for recovering eligible project costs, potentially through approved rates, fees, surcharges, or other cost recovery methods, with protections for ratepayers and accountability measures.
- Standards and requirements for project development, including cost-benefit analysis, performance metrics, reporting, and timelines for completion.
- Oversight, governance, and auditing provisions to ensure program integrity and transparency.
- Reporting requirements to the legislature and potential periodic reviews or sunset provisions to reassess program effectiveness.
- Specific applicability to eligible entities, which may include utilities, municipalities, or other infrastructure owners/operators.

Affected parties

Utilities, municipalities, and other entities responsible for climate adaptation infrastructure.

Ratepayers or customers who might bear cost recovery charges, subject to any caps, protections, or oversight.

State agencies charged with administering the program, approving projects, and ensuring compliance with standards.

Procedural history and timeline

January 9, 2025: Introduced (A 1474) and referred to Environmental Conservation.

January 22, 2025: Reported/referred to Codes, Ways and Means, and Rules; Rules Report CAL.51; ordered to Third Reading (Rules CAL.51).

January 28, 2025: A 1474 substituted by S 824 (also noted as substituted twice in the action log).

Status: Substituted by S824; companion bill S 824 exists.

Sponsor: Jeffrey Dinowitz (primary).

Next steps and where to find the text

Because A 1474 has been substituted by S824, review S824 for the enacted or pending text and final provisions.

Track ongoing committee actions, amendments, and floor votes for S824 to understand the bill’s final form and timetable.

If you’d like, I can pull the latest available text of S824 and provide a point-by-point comparison with A 1474’s stated purpose.