Provides a green infrastructure tax abatement for the construction of green infrastructure projects on certain properties in a city of one million or more.
S06353 would create a new real property tax abatement for certain green infrastructure projects installed on eligible buildings in a city with a population of one million or more, which in practice means New York City. The bill adds a new title to the Real Property Tax Law establishing definitions, application procedures, compliance rules, enforcement authority, and revocation standards for the program. Eligible projects include rain gardens, planter boxes, permeable pavement, stormwater harvest and reuse systems, and similar landscaping or surface treatments designed to capture, infiltrate, or reuse stormwater and reduce runoff into sewers and surface waters.
The abatement would apply to class one and class two properties and would be available only after the project is completed and operational. For each year of a four-year compliance period, the abatement would equal the lesser of 7.5 percent of eligible green infrastructure expenditures, the property’s tax liability for that year, or $20,000. Applications could be filed beginning January 1, 2026, and would require proof of permits and approvals, professional certifications, and consent to inspection. The bill also authorizes the city’s finance department and a designated agency to administer the program, promulgate rules, inspect projects, and revoke benefits for noncompliance or false statements.
The bill would amend the Real Property Tax Law by adding a targeted tax incentive for green infrastructure investments on qualifying properties in a large city. It would create new statutory definitions for eligible buildings, eligible expenditures, compliance periods, and green infrastructure projects, while also establishing administrative procedures for application, approval, inspection, revocation, and lien enforcement. The measure would affect property owners, condominium and cooperative boards, architects, engineers, and city agencies responsible for tax administration and building oversight, and it would likely be implemented through local rules and agency guidance in New York City.
The available voting history suggests strong committee support, with the Senate Cities 1 Committee approving the bill unanimously on two recorded occasions, 7-0 in May 2025 and again 7-0 in February 2026. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader public disagreement. The overall sentiment in the available record appears favorable, reflecting support for incentives that encourage stormwater management and environmentally beneficial property improvements.
No specific objections are documented in the provided materials, but the bill’s structure suggests potential areas of concern. These could include the administrative burden on property owners and city agencies, the need for professional certifications and inspections, and the possibility of disputes over whether a project qualifies as green infrastructure or whether claimed expenditures are eligible. The bill also conditions the abatement on compliance with local codes and payment status, and it authorizes revocation and repayment with interest for false statements or noncompliance, which may be points of practical concern for applicants and administrators.