On Sept. 2, New York Governor David Paterson signed the State Green Building Construction Act, giving the state’s Office of General Services (OGS) the authority to develop and implement new green building standards. Under the act, any future construction of state buildings in New York, as well as any substantial renovations to existing buildings, must conform to green building principles that will be developed by OGS. The bill was unanimously passed in the state Assembly and passed on a vote of 55-2 in the state Senate earlier this year. Currently, the OGS Design and Construction unit assigns a LEED professional to every design project to review sustainable opportunities. Over the past five years, the office has pursued LEED status for all projects completed for its agency clients.