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S7998 • 2025

Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"

Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Brian Kavanagh
Last action
2026-05-07
Official status
In Senate Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"

Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act" Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"; relates to requiring construction of any building, addition or renovation greater than 25,000 square feet meet certain standards intended to reduce the embodied carbon emissions associated with the construction.

What This Bill Does

  • Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act" Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"; relates to requiring construction of any building, addition or renovation greater than 25,000 square feet meet certain standards intended to reduce the embodied carbon emissions associated with the construction.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-07 Senate

    AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

  2. 2026-05-07 Senate

    PRINT NUMBER 7998A

  3. 2026-01-07 Senate

    REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

  4. 2025-05-15 Senate

    REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Official Summary Text

Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"
Enacts the "low-carbon building construction act"; relates to requiring construction of any building, addition or renovation greater than 25,000 square feet meet certain standards intended to reduce the embodied carbon emissions associated with the construction.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7998

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                      May 15, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. KAVANAGH -- 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 reducing the embodied
          carbon emissions of buildings and building materials

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

     1    Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 382-c
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 382-C. EMBODIED CARBON EMISSION REDUCTION.  1. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF
     4  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
     5    (A) "COVERED PRODUCTS" MEANS:
     6    (I)  STRUCTURAL  CONCRETE  PRODUCTS,  INCLUDING  READY MIX, SHOTCRETE,
     7  PRECAST, AND CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS;
     8    (II) REINFORCING STEEL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING REBAR AND  POST  TENSIONING
     9  TENDONS;
    10    (III) STRUCTURAL STEEL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING HOT ROLLED SECTIONS, HOLLOW
    11  SECTIONS, PLATE, OPEN-WEB STEEL JOISTS, AND METAL DECK;
    12    (IV)  ENGINEERED  WOOD PRODUCTS INCLUDING MASS TIMBER PRODUCTS SUCH AS
    13  LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER, PARALLEL STRAND LUMBER, CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER,
    14  DOWEL LAMINATED TIMBER, NAIL LAMINATED TIMBER, GLULAM LAMINATED  TIMBER,
    15  GLULAM BEAMS AND COLUMNS, AND STRUCTURAL SAWN LUMBER; AND
    16    (V)  OTHER  MATERIALS  THE  DEPARTMENT  DESIGNATES BY RULE AND REVIEWS
    17  EVERY THREE YEARS;
    18    (B) "DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OF RECORD"  MEANS  A  LICENSED  ARCHITECT  OR
    19  ENGINEER;
    20    (C)  "EMBODIED  CARBON  EMISSIONS"  MEANS THE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GAS
    21  EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED  WITH  THE  EXTRACTION,  MANUFACTURING,  TRANSPORT,
    22  INSTALLATION,   MAINTENANCE,   AND  DISPOSAL  OF  CONSTRUCTION  PRODUCTS
    23  THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCT'S LIFE;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11868-02-5
        S. 7998                             2

     1    (D) "GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL"  MEANS  THE  POTENTIAL  CLIMATE  CHANGE
     2  IMPACT  OF  A PRODUCT OR PROCESS AS MEASURED BY A LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT.
     3  IT IS THE METRIC FOR TRACKING EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS AND IS  REPORTED
     4  IN UNITS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT;
     5    (E) "PRODUCT AND FACILITY-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS"
     6  MEANS  A  TYPE  III ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION, AS DEFINED BY THE
     7  INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION STANDARD  14025,  REPRES-
     8  ENTING A SINGLE PRODUCT FROM A SINGLE MANUFACTURING FACILITY; AND
     9    (F)  "WHOLE  BUILDING  LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENTS" MEANS A CRADLE TO GRAVE
    10  ASSESSMENT COVERING LIFE-CYCLE STAGES A-C AS  DEFINED  BY  THE  INTERNA-
    11  TIONAL  ORGANIZATION  FOR  STANDARDIZATION  STANDARD  21931-1, EXCLUDING
    12  MODULES B6 AND B7, OR SIMILARLY ROBUST WHOLE BUILDING LIFE-CYCLE ASSESS-
    13  MENT METHODS OR WHOLE LIFE CARBON ASSESSMENT STANDARDS THAT EVALUATE THE
    14  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF A BUILDING  INCLUDING,  AT  A  MINIMUM,  GLOBAL
    15  WARMING POTENTIAL.
    16    2.  (A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AMEND THE CODE AS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH
    17  THE EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION  SIX
    18  OF THIS SECTION BY JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX.
    19    (B)  THIS  SECTION SHALL APPLY TO ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION, ADDITIONS, AND
    20  RENOVATIONS TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OR LARGER.
    21    (C) THE DEPARTMENT MAY INTRODUCE FURTHER MORE  STRINGENT  CRITERIA  AS
    22  MORE DATA IS COLLECTED OVER TIME.
    23    (D)  PROJECTS COVERED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOW-
    24  ING OPTIONS TO  COMPLY  WITH  THE  EMBODIED  CARBON  EMISSION  REDUCTION
    25  REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION:
    26    (I) MAINTAINING AN EXISTING PORTION OF A BUILDING STRUCTURE AND ENVEL-
    27  OPE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION;
    28    (II)  DEMONSTRATING A REDUCTION IN A1 TO A3 LIFE-CYCLE STAGE EMISSIONS
    29  IN COVERED PRODUCTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION; OR
    30    (III) DEMONSTRATING EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION USING A  WHOLE
    31  BUILDING  LIFE-CYCLE  ASSESSMENT  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS
    32  SECTION.
    33    3. (A) BUILDING PROJECTS THAT MAINTAIN AT LEAST FORTY-FIVE PERCENT  OF
    34  AN  EXISTING  STRUCTURE  AND  ENVELOPE  AND  DO  NOT ADD MORE THAN FIFTY
    35  PERCENT TO THE TOTAL AREA COMPLY  WITH  THE  EMBODIED  CARBON  EMISSIONS
    36  REDUCTIONS REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION SIX OF THIS SECTION.
    37    (B)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  ADOPT  RULES  TO DETERMINE HOW FORTY-FIVE
    38  PERCENT REUSE OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE AND ENVELOPE SHALL BE CALCULATED,
    39  SUCH AS BY COST, MASS, AREA, OR VOLUME.
    40    4. (A) (I) AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUBDIVISION  THREE  OR  FIVE  OF  THIS
    41  SECTION,  ALL  BUILDING  PROJECTS  SHALL DEMONSTRATE, AND REQUIRE IN THE
    42  CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, THAT THE LIFE-CYCLE STAGE A1 THROUGH A3 EMBODIED
    43  CARBON EMISSIONS OF THE COVERED PRODUCTS  USED,  MEASURED  IN  TERMS  OF
    44  GLOBAL  WARMING  POTENTIAL  FOR  COVERED  PRODUCTS  AND SUMMED UP AT THE
    45  PROJECT LEVEL, MEET THE GOALS ESTABLISHED IN  SUBDIVISION  SIX  OF  THIS
    46  SECTION  WHEN  COMPARED  TO THE PROJECT'S SUMMED INDUSTRY AVERAGE GLOBAL
    47  WARMING POTENTIAL.
    48    (II) TO ACHIEVE SUCH REDUCTION, BUILDING PROJECTS SHALL  USE  PROJECT-
    49  SPECIFIC  MATERIAL QUANTITIES AND PRODUCT AND FACILITY-SPECIFIC ENVIRON-
    50  MENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE.
    51    (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT RULES TO DETERMINE HOW COVERED  MATERI-
    52  ALS SHALL BE CALCULATED, SUCH AS BY COST, MASS, OR VOLUME, AND ESTABLISH
    53  HOW INDUSTRY AVERAGE SHALL BE DETERMINED.
    54    (C)  THE  DESIGN  PROFESSIONAL  OF RECORD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EMBODIED
    55  CARBON CALCULATIONS AND REPORTING SHALL BE SPECIFIED IN THE ARCHITECT OF
    56  RECORD CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OF  RECORD  SHALL
        S. 7998                             3

     1  STAMP  AN  ATTESTATION  THAT  THE  DESIGNED  BUILDING COMPLIES WITH THIS
     2  SECTION. THE ATTESTATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH  THE  PERMIT  AND
     3  DOCUMENTS SHOWING COMPLIANCE.
     4    (D)  THE  DESIGN  PROFESSIONAL  OF  RECORD  SHALL  UPDATE QUANTITY AND
     5  EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS CALCULATIONS BASED ON  PRODUCT  AND  FACILITY-
     6  SPECIFIC  ENVIRONMENTAL  PRODUCT DECLARATIONS FROM PROCURED PRODUCTS AND
     7  ATTEST THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE AND COMPLY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION  DOCUMENT
     8  REQUIREMENTS  TO  THE BEST OF THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL'S KNOWLEDGE. THESE
     9  CALCULATIONS SHALL BE VERIFIED AS ACCURATE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY  STANDARD
    10  OF CARE WITH A LETTER STAMPED BY A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OF RECORD.
    11    (E)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE  A  WORKSHEET  TO BE COMPLETED BY
    12  PROJECT TEAMS FOR CONSISTENT REPORTING.
    13    5. (A) AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE REQUIREMENTS IN SUBDIVISIONS THREE AND
    14  FOUR OF THIS SECTION, BUILDING PROJECTS SHALL DEMONSTRATE  THE  EMBODIED
    15  CARBON  EMISSIONS  REDUCTION  COMPLIANT  WITH  SUBDIVISION  SIX  OF THIS
    16  SECTION, USING  A  WHOLE  BUILDING  LIFE-CYCLE  ASSESSMENT  AS  COMPARED
    17  AGAINST  A  FUNCTIONALLY  EQUIVALENT  REFERENCE  BUILDING. THE REFERENCE
    18  BUILDING SHALL BE THE SAME SIZE, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, FUNCTION AND THER-
    19  MAL PERFORMANCE. THE MATERIALS AND MATERIAL QUANTITIES IN  THE  PROPOSED
    20  BUILDING  AND  THE REFERENCE BUILDING MAY VARY, PROVIDED THAT THE BUILD-
    21  INGS ARE FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVALENT.
    22    (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT RULES  TO  REQUIRE  COMPLIANCE  WITH  A
    23  QUANTIFICATION  STANDARD  FOR  BUILDING  LIFE-CYCLE GREENHOUSE GAS EMIS-
    24  SIONS. ALTERNATIVELY, THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT RULES TO SPECIFY REQUIRED
    25  BUILDING ELEMENT SCOPE,  LIFE-CYCLE  STAGES,  REFERENCE  STUDY  PERIODS,
    26  IMPACT  CATEGORIES, ALLOWABLE DATA SOURCES, BIOGENIC CARBON MODELING AND
    27  REPORTING GUIDANCE, MATERIAL REUSE AND SALVAGE REPORTING  GUIDANCE,  AND
    28  AT  WHICH  DESIGN  STAGES  THE  ASSESSMENT SHOULD OCCUR. THE SCOPE SHALL
    29  INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, THE COVERED PRODUCTS.
    30    (C) THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OF RECORD  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THE  EMBODIED
    31  CARBON CALCULATIONS AND REPORTING SHALL BE SPECIFIED IN THE ARCHITECT OF
    32  RECORD  CONSTRUCTION  DOCUMENTS  AND SHALL STAMP AN ATTESTATION THAT THE
    33  DESIGNED BUILDING COMPLIES WITH THIS SECTION. THE ATTESTATION  SHALL  BE
    34  SUBMITTED ALONG WITH THE PERMIT AND DOCUMENTS SHOWING COMPLIANCE.
    35    (D)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE  A  WORKSHEET  TO BE COMPLETED BY
    36  PROJECT TEAMS FOR CONSISTENT REPORTING.
    37    6. CONSTRUCTION PERMITTED UNDER  THE  CODE  SHALL  ACHIEVE  A  FIFTEEN
    38  PERCENT REDUCTION IN EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS FROM A PROJECT-WIDE STAT-
    39  IC BASELINE USING THE CARBON LEADERSHIP FORUM 2023 MATERIAL BASELINES OR
    40  COMPARABLE  INDUSTRY  AVERAGE DATA SOURCES DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT,
    41  OR ACHIEVE A FIFTEEN PERCENT  REDUCTION  IN  EMBODIED  CARBON  EMISSIONS
    42  COMPARED  TO  THE REFERENCE BUILDING AS DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION FOUR OF
    43  THIS SECTION BY TWO  THOUSAND  THIRTY;  FOLLOWED  BY  A  THIRTY  PERCENT
    44  REDUCTION IN EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS BY TWO THOUSAND THIRTY-THREE.
    45    7.  (A)  ALL EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION DATA SHALL BE ENTERED
    46  BY THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OF RECORD ON A STANDARD FORM AND PUBLIC DATA-
    47  BASE CREATED AND MAINTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT.  AT A MINIMUM, THE  DATA-
    48  BASE  SHALL  INCLUDE  BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT, PROJECT AREA,
    49  WHICH COMPLIANCE PATHWAY WAS SELECTED, THE REPORTING WORKSHEET, AND  HOW
    50  THE PROJECT MET THE STANDARDS FOR THE SELECTED PATHWAY.
    51    (B)  THE  DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP A PUBLIC-FACING WEBSITE WITH EDUCA-
    52  TIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION. THE WEBSITE SHALL:
    53    (I) DETAIL THE EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS IN THE
    54  CODE;
    55    (II) OUTLINE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES;
    56    (III) PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE DATABASE;
        S. 7998                             4

     1    (IV) PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR WHOLE BUILDING LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENTS;
     2    (V) PROVIDE CHECKLISTS, TEMPLATES, AND TRAINING TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTA-
     3  TION; AND
     4    (VI) PROVIDE A LIST OF SOFTWARE THAT MAY BE USED TO SUPPORT COMPLIANCE
     5  WITH SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION.
     6    (C)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  CONDUCT RANDOM AUDITS ON THREE PERCENT OF
     7  PROJECTS ANNUALLY.
     8    8. (A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT ITS PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING  THE
     9  THIRTY PERCENT REDUCTION IN ANNUAL EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS BY DECEMBER
    10  THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT, AND EVERY THREE YEARS THEREAFT-
    11  ER.
    12    (B)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL REPORT MAJOR FINDINGS FROM THE DATABASE OF
    13  PRODUCTS AND AUDITS BY DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT,
    14  AND EVERY THREE YEARS THEREAFTER.
    15    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.