Rain ready: New York Senate passes bill to manage severe storm events

The New York Senate passed the “Rain Ready” bill (SB S4071) on April 3, 2025. The bill, sponsored by New York Senator Rachel May, would give certain state water and sewer authorities the ability to prepare for and manage severe storm events.

“The warming atmosphere is making heavy rain and flooding more common in every corner of New York,” said Senator May in a press release. “We must give local water authorities a full array of policy tools to cope with the stormwater crisis. My bill allows them to incentivize and implement smart strategies to make their communities ‘Rain Ready’.”

Effective stormwater management provides a multitude of critical benefits. First and foremost, it mitigates flooding risks, protecting lives and structures.

In recent years, many people have tragically suffered injury or death during storm events when unable to be rescued from flooded roadways and basement apartments in urban areas like New York City. Managing stormwater also protects water quality and aquatic life by helping filter and divert harmful pollutants, road salt, pesticides, and litter away from waterways. 

The Rain Ready bill will not only give New York’s water and sewer authorities permission to spend existing funds on infrastructure improvements and upgrades, but it will also grant the ability to take action concerning the increasing number of impervious surfaces that cover the state’s urban areas. The runoff caused by these surfaces is compounded by the increased volume of rain. Giving municipalities the authority to manage this growing problem is the first step to meeting the challenge of excess stormwater.

The bill is carried in the New York State Assembly by Queens Member Nily Rozic.

"Flooding is a crisis that disrupts entire communities—and our aging infrastructure simply isn’t equipped to handle the volume of stormwater we now face, leaving too many neighborhoods vulnerable and under water,” said Assemblywoman Rozic in a press release. “The Rain Ready NY Act would give water and sewer authorities across the state, the authority needed to invest in stormwater management and resilience. I’m thrilled to partner with Senator May on this effort to make New York rain ready and look forward to advancing this legislation in the Assembly.”