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Rachel May

Sponsor · State Senator, District 48 · Democratic/Working Families

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Senate bill · S8779 (2025-26)

Establishes a New York native plants designation; repealer

Latest action Feb 13, 2026

Summary

Directs the department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with the department of environmental conservation, to establish standards for designation of native plants, to develop a list of native plants that indicates and differentiates between native plants that are indigenous to New York state and those that are native plants found elsewhere in the United States that are likely to shift or expand their range into NY, to establish a New York native plant designation, and to offer seals or logos identifying native plants as grown in New York state; defines "native plants".

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Where it stands

Signed into law.

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

New York State Senate

Same as A9478, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A9478, the matching Assembly bill.

Amends the Agriculture and Markets Law.

Committee

Agriculture · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Agriculture · New York State Senate, Rules · New York State Assembly, Rules · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

This legislation amends the underlying chapter to clarify the agencies, stakeholders, and parameters for establishing a "native plants" desig- nation under the New York Grown and Certified program, which will create seals and educational materials for native plants and create a list of native plants eligible for the New York Grown and Certified program.

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

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJan 29, 2026Result: passedSenate vote on A9478, the matching Assembly bill.

    (56) (0) (0) (5)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesJan 20, 2026Result: passed

    (19) (0) (0) (1)

The sponsor's argument

Why Rachel May says this is needed

Pursuant to approval memo 78 of 2025, the Executive and Legislature have reached agreement on modifications to the underlying chapter.

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 13, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR

    NY Assembly

  2. Feb 13, 2026

    Signed

    SIGNED CHAP.24

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 29, 2026

    3RD Reading CAL.72

    3RD READING CAL.72

    NY Senate

  4. Jan 29, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  5. Jan 29, 2026

    Substituted

    SUBSTITUTED FOR S8779

    NY Senate

Show full history (8 earlier events)
  1. Jan 21, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO SENATE

    NY Assembly

  2. Jan 21, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 21, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  4. Jan 21, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Assembly

  5. Jan 21, 2026

    Rules Report CAL.48

    RULES REPORT CAL.48

    NY Assembly

  6. Jan 20, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.72

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.72

    NY Senate

  7. Jan 8, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  8. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

    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.

Source

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 22, 2026. About our data

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