Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateMay 13, 2026Result: passed
(58) (2) (0) (3)
Senate bill · S5159 (2025-26)
Relates to providing additional duties of the community gardens task force
PassedLatest action May 20, 2026
New York State Senate
Same as A8901, the matching bill in the Assembly.
Summary
Requires the community gardens task force to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden's designation as a critical environmental area.
Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries
Amends the Agriculture and Markets Law.
From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 22, 2026. About our data
Following needs an Agora account. You will sign in first, then come back to this page.
Your position on this bill
Choose the position closest to yours. You'll sign in or create an account to save it.
Purpose, from the sponsor's memo
This legislation directs the Community Gardens Task Force (CGTF) to evaluate community gardens across New York State and determine whether they meet the criteria for designation as Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The task force must complete its analysis within two years and submit a written status report to the Legislature, the Governor, and relevant state agencies by January 1 of the year following enactment.
Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)
Where it stands
Passed the legislature and is awaiting a signature.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Up for a vote
- Passed one chamber
- Passed
- Enacted
Committee
Agriculture · New York State Assembly
Also referred to Agriculture · New York State Senate, Ways and Means · New York State Assembly.
Cosponsors
Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)- Democratic1
Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.
The sponsor's argument
Why Leroy Comrie says this is needed
Community gardens provide significant public benefits, including access to fresh fruits and vegetables, green infrastructure that mitigates stormwater and urban heat, recreational and educational opportunities, and spaces that foster social cohesion. Many gardens exist in under-re- sourced communities where residents have limited access to green space or fresh produce, and where environmental hazards disproportionately impact public health. Despite these benefits, community gardens are often vulnerable to development pressures and lack formal protections under current law. This bill assigns a clear statutory duty to the CGTF to assess community gardens for potential CEA designation under SEQRA. CEAs are geographic areas identified for their environmental, social, cultural, historic, recreational, educational, or other sensitive characteristics. By evalu- ating gardens against DEC criteria and submitting formal recommendations to municipalities and state agencies, the CGTF creates a legally ground- ed process to support informed decision-making regarding CEA desig- nation. The bill provides a practical mechanism to recognize and docu- ment the importance of community gardens while maintaining existing legal authority with the agency or municipality responsible for desig- nating a CEA.
This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.
Recorded votes
Vote: Committee vote · Agriculture
Senate AgricultureMay 7, 2026Result: passed
(9) (0) (0) (0)Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateMay 29, 2025Result: passed
(54) (2) (0) (7)Vote: Committee vote · Agriculture
Senate AgricultureMay 14, 2025Result: passed
(8) (0) (0) (1)
Full history
- May 20, 2026
Ordered to Third Reading Rules CAL.150
ORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.150
NY Assembly
- May 20, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
- May 20, 2026
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
- May 20, 2026
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED FOR A8901A
NY Assembly
- May 19, 2026
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
NY Assembly
Show full history (20 earlier events)Show less history
- May 13, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
- May 13, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
- May 13, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
NY Assembly
- May 12, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
- May 11, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
- May 7, 2026
1ST Report CAL.996
1ST REPORT CAL.996
NY Senate
- Mar 5, 2026
Amend and Recommit to Agriculture
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
NY Senate
- Feb 25, 2026
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
NY Assembly
- Feb 6, 2026
Amend and Recommit to Agriculture
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
NY Assembly
- Jan 7, 2026
Died in Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
- Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
NY Senate
- Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
NY Assembly
- Jun 16, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
NY Assembly
- May 29, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
- May 29, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
- May 29, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
NY Assembly
- May 19, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
- May 15, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
- May 14, 2025
1ST Report CAL.1120
1ST REPORT CAL.1120
NY Senate
- Feb 19, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
NY Senate