Skip to main content

AgoraSign in
Agora
Sign in

Siela Bynoe

Sponsor · State Senator, District 6 · Democratic

Follow

Senate bill · S7551 (2025-26)

Establishes the bottle redemption fraud task force

Latest action Feb 3, 2026

Summary

Establishes the bottle redemption fraud task force to provide the governor and the legislature with information on the fraud, enforcement, and reporting requirements related to the New York state returnable container act.

Your position on this bill

Not chosen yet

Sign in to choose

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A3469, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Committee

Environmental Conservation · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Environmental Conservation · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this bill is to conduct a study to evaluate the fraud, enforcement, and reporting requirements of the Returnable Container Act.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateFeb 3, 2026Result: passed

    (54) (6) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Environmental Conservation

    Senate Environmental ConservationJan 20, 2026Result: passed

    (9) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMay 19, 2025Result: passed

    (49) (7) (0) (6)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Environmental Conservation

    Senate Environmental ConservationMay 13, 2025Result: passed

    (11) (0) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Environmental Conservation

    Senate Environmental ConservationApr 29, 2025Result: passed

    (11) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Jeremy Cooney

  • Democratic1
See the full list on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

The sponsor's argument

Why Siela Bynoe says this is needed

Since the implementation of the bottle redemption program, bad actors have abused the system set up to promote recycling. Reports have stated that every year, there are about $100 million in unclaimed deposits and an estimated $200 million to $300 million a year in fraud. A majority of this fraud is caused by trans-shipping practices, which is when bad actors haul beverage containers from other states where no nickel depos- it was collected in New York for the container. These fraudulently redeemed beverages cause our environmental programs to be shortchanged. However, even with these reports of fraud, the State has failed to prop- erly address these issues. Further, if the state fails to address these issues prior to the expansion of the returnable container act, the fraud associated with the act will also expand. These issues of fraud have made it clear for the need of a specific task force to determine the impact of that fraud on the State has become clear. By creating this task force, New York can specifically uncover two important facts: one, how much money this fraud is costing New York State; and two, whether organized criminal enterprises constitute a key part of this fraud. This task force aims to accomplish proposals set out to combat the threats to the Returnable Container Act by evaluating the current laws for weaknesses and determining the fiscal impact that fraud by bad actors has on the bottle redemption program. It will also allow disparate agencies to begin to coordinate and work together to solve this unchecked problem. The information gathered will better inform the legislature on how to best reduce fraud and it will address overall solid waste issues going forward.

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.

Full history

  1. Feb 3, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. Feb 3, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. Feb 3, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Assembly

  4. Jan 27, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  5. Jan 21, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

Show full history (12 earlier events)
  1. Jan 20, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.109

    1ST REPORT CAL.109

    NY Senate

  2. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Assembly

  4. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Senate

  5. May 19, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  6. May 19, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  7. May 19, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Assembly

  8. May 1, 2025

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  9. Apr 30, 2025

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  10. Apr 29, 2025

    1ST Report CAL.772

    1ST REPORT CAL.772

    NY Senate

  11. Apr 22, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Senate

  12. Jan 27, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Assembly

About this record

Summary

The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.

Cosponsors

The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Party colors

Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.

Source

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Nov 3, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Your position
Follow