Responsible Data Center Development Act and Time Extender for Significant Disruptions Bills Passed!
June 4, 2026 ALBANY, NY- This evening, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed both the Responsible Data Center Development Act (aka Data Center Moratorium Bill) A11560/S10642 and the Time Extender Bill S4602A/A5846A.
The Responsible Data Center Development Act pumps the brakes on the rapid expansion of large data centers in New York. It places a one-year moratorium on new permits for data centers drawing 20MW or more of power, while requiring the Department of Environmental Conservation to study and report on their environmental impacts within 18 months. Data centers would also be required to source energy from renewables. The goal is to give the state time to understand and manage the environmental, economic, and quality-of-life consequences of unchecked data center growth before issuing new approvals.
The Time Extender for Significant Election Disruptions bill creates a legal safety net for voters when emergencies disrupt polling. Under current law, there is no formal mechanism to restore voting time lost due to disruptions like bomb threats, fires, lockdowns, or accidents at polling sites, all of which have actually occurred in New York since 2022. This bill would establish a rapid-response plan requiring officials to document incidents, coordinate emergency responses, and critically, extend voting hours to make up for time lost. The aim is to ensure that voters are not disenfranchised by circumstances entirely outside their control.
