כ״ג אייר ה׳תשפ״ו | May 9, 2026
New York ‘Dark Sky’ Bill Could Put Frum Jews in a Bind
A newly proposed New York law could leave hundreds of thousands of frum homeowners across the state with no compliant outdoor lighting option on Shabbos and Yom Tov. One assemblyman is already keeping a close eye on it.
A proposed New York State law aimed at reducing light pollution could create a real problem for the state’s millions of Jews, particularly on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
The “Dark Skies Protection Act,” introduced in the State Senate by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, would require most outdoor lights across New York to shut off between 11 pm and sunrise starting January 1, 2028.
The legislation covers residential floodlights, building uplighting, commercial spotlights, and billboards, with the goal of preserving dark skies while “promoting safety for people, birds and other wildlife, conserving energy and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The bill includes exemptions for airports, highways, emergency services, seasonal decorative lights, and small low-wattage fixtures. For all other outdoor lights, the only workaround is installing motion-activated fixtures that shut off within 15 minutes.
For the frum community, motion-sensor lights pose a problem. Triggering a light on Shabbos or Yom Tov raises serious halachic concerns, meaning hundreds of thousands of frum homeowners across New York would have no compliant way to keep their outdoor lights on. Anyone walking in and out of their home on a Friday night or Yom Tov would simply be left in the dark.
Moreover, triggering the motion-sensing light of neighbors on dark streets – where there is a real benefit to having the light (nicha lei) – poses a serious Shabbos issue.
A concerned Crown Heights resident raised the issue with Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, following his successful effort last year around Shabbos-related sanitation regulations.
Eichenstein’s office responded: “We have flagged this for our legislative team in Albany so they can keep an eye on this proposed legislation.”
The bill still requires passage in both the State Senate and Assembly before reaching the governor’s desk, but advocates say it’s worth getting ahead of now.
Crown Heights resident and NYS Assembly candidate Ahron Gluck stated: “For several years now, Crown Heights Anash are bringing their concerns to Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein in Borough Park, because our local Assemblyman Brian Cunningham has not been too helpful. Some in the community are led to believe that the Assemblyman is our good friend—then why are our local community members repeatedly running to the Borough Park elected officials?”
“As a community, we should all be thankful to Simcha for helping us, although we aren’t even his constituents, but it’s a disgrace that we have to run to the Borough Park politicians for assistance since our own elected officials are silencing the Jewish community. If elected to the Assembly, this changes and Crown Heights will finally have an Assembly Member who will listen to the neighborhood residents’ concerns,” Ahron Gluck concluded.
COMMENTS
This isn’t a galactic issue, this is a basic safety issue where the streets are dark and give cover to criminals
The Democrats’ constituent services.
This type of thing is already a huge issue for the Frum community. Due to energy codes all new electrical lighting in commercial buildings must comply with energy codes (probably Shuls, schools and Chabad houses too). That means that all lighting has to be controlled by sophisticated sensors that only keep the lights on when they detect occupants in the area. It’s the people coming in that automatically turn on the lights, heat, and air conditioning! (Hotels can’t wait to have this technology installed in all their rooms to save energy.) When people in a room with incorrectly installed or calibrated sensors find that there’s no air conditioning in the middle of the night, the front desk just tells them to wave their arms around (on Shabbos)! All the energy codes are becoming more and more restrictive. Many “Smart” home thermostats that detect the occupant and only then turn on the heat or air conditioning are now being inadvertently installed by unknowing homeowners. The energy codes are a whole subject!