New York Senate Bill S01459

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/10/25
• Refer: 1/10/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Establishes extended producer responsibility for household appliances and refrigerants; provides that no later than December 31, 2027, producers shall submit a plan to the department of environmental conservation for the establishment of a collection program for certain covered products.

Summary

This bill establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for household appliances and regulated refrigerants in New York. It creates a new title in the Environmental Conservation Law requiring producers of covered products to submit and implement approved collection plans, finance collection and recycling systems, and meet phased performance targets for recycling household appliances and recovering refrigerants. The bill also prohibits knowingly disposing of household appliances or regulated refrigerants as solid waste beginning January 1, 2029. The measure defines covered products broadly to include many common household and commercial appliances, including refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, and sets out detailed requirements for producer plans, collection site convenience, consumer education, reporting, and recordkeeping. It also requires retailers to sell only covered products from producers participating in an approved program, and it authorizes the Department of Environmental Conservation to approve plans, maintain public lists, issue regulations, and enforce compliance. A dedicated state fund is created to receive penalties and support administration of the program.

Impact

The bill would amend the Environmental Conservation Law and the State Finance Law to create a new regulatory framework for appliance and refrigerant stewardship. It would shift responsibility for end-of-life management from consumers and municipalities to producers, distributors, and representative organizations, while also imposing retailer participation requirements and disposal restrictions. The bill creates a dedicated household appliances and regulated refrigerant extended producer responsibility fund and adds the new title to the law’s enforcement provisions, giving DEC authority to assess civil penalties and oversee compliance.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed as an environmental and waste-management policy with strong regulatory and compliance components, suggesting a policy goal of reducing landfill disposal and improving recovery of refrigerants and appliance materials. The structure of the bill indicates an implementation-focused approach rather than a symbolic one.

Contention

The likely points of contention are the costs and operational burdens placed on producers, retailers, and related businesses, since the bill requires them to finance and administer collection programs, meet performance targets, and comply with reporting and recordkeeping obligations. Another possible issue is the broad scope of covered products and the requirement that retailers may only sell products from participating producers, which could affect supply chains and market access. Municipalities may also have concerns about how the new collection network interacts with existing local waste systems, although the bill allows coordination with municipal infrastructure and includes a special provision for New York City.