Establishes standards for the reuse of deconstructed building materials

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2091

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                    January 15, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  KAVANAGH, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Housing,
          Construction and Community Development

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing standards
          for the reuse of deconstructed building materials

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph c of subdivision 2 of section 377 of  the  execu-
     2  tive  law,  as  added  by chapter 707 of the laws of 1981, is amended to
     3  read as follows:
     4    c. permit to the fullest extent  feasible,  use  of  modern  technical
     5  methods,  devices  and  improvements  which  tend  to reduce the cost of
     6  construction, INCLUDING THE REUSE OF DECONSTRUCTED  BUILDING  MATERIALS,
     7  without  substantially affecting reasonable requirements for the health,
     8  safety and security of the occupants or users of buildings;
     9    § 2. Section 378 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
    10  subdivision 19-a to read as follows:
    11    19-A. A.  TO SUPPORT THE GOAL OF ZERO ON-SITE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
    12  AND  HELP ACHIEVE THE STATE'S CLEAR ENERGY AND CLIMATE AGENDA, INCLUDING
    13  BUT NOT LIMITED TO GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH WITH-
    14  IN CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SIX OF THE LAWS OF TWO  THOUSAND  NINETEEN,  ALSO
    15  KNOWN  AS THE NEW YORK STATE CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION
    16  ACT, THE UNIFORM CODE SHALL SET STANDARDS  FOR  THE  USE  OF  SOLID-SAWN
    17  LUMBER IN CONSTRUCTION AND FOR THE GRADING OF USED SOLID-SAWN LUMBER.
    18    B.  THE UNIFORM CODE SHALL PROVIDE THAT USED SOLID-SAWN LUMBER IN GOOD
    19  CONDITION AND DEVOID OF AREAS OF DECAY NOT MEETING THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF
    20  SECTIONS 2303.1.1, 2303.1.1.1 OR 2303.1.1.2 OF THE 2020 BUILDING CODE OF
    21  NEW YORK STATE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING:
    22    (I) DIMENSIONAL LUMBER THAT HAS A NOMINAL THICKNESS OF TWO INCHES WITH
    23  A  NOMINAL  WIDTH OF SIX INCHES, OR LESS, SHALL BE ASSUMED TO BE SPRUCE-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00127-01-5
        S. 2091                             2

     1  PINE-FIR STUD GRADE AND SHALL HAVE  STRUCTURAL  PROPERTIES  ASSIGNED  IN
     2  ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT ADOPTED STANDARDS; AND
     3    (II) ALL OTHER DIMENSIONAL LUMBER SHALL BE ASSUMED TO BE HEM-FIR NO. 2
     4  GRADE  AND  SHALL HAVE STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES ASSIGNED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
     5  CURRENT ADOPTED STANDARDS.
     6    § 3. Section 376 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
     7  subdivision 7 to read as follows:
     8    7.  TO  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM  FOR GRADING RECLAIMED WOOD FOR STRUCTURAL
     9  PURPOSES. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION  WITH  INDUSTRY
    10  STAKEHOLDERS  AND SHALL INCLUDE STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING THE STRUCTURAL
    11  INTEGRITY OF RECLAIMED WOOD. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE UPDATED  AS  NECESSARY
    12  TO REFLECT ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY AND BEST PRACTICES.
    13    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.