News from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Assembly Office:
933 Legislative Office Building • Albany, NY 12248 • (518) 455-3751
District Offices:
607 West Washington Street • Suite 2 • Geneva, NY 14456 • (315) 781-2030
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For Release: IMMEDIATELY, November 30, 2012
Contact: Joshua Fitzpatrick (518) 455-3751
Minority Leader Brian Kolb Introducing Legislation To Create The "New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund" To Help Families Rebuild, Recover From Hurricane Sandy
Proposal would allow individuals and businesses to contribute to a voluntary tax contribution check-off fund and make tax-deductible donations, legislation is modeled after other voluntary state check-off funds for breast cancer research and wildlife conservation

In an effort to lend a helping hand to the hundreds of thousands of New York families impacted by Hurricane Sandy in rebuilding and recovering from the storm, Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) today announced he will be introducing legislation that would create the "New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund."

Leader Kolb's bill - the "New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund" - would establish a new, voluntary Fund to assist recovery efforts for New Yorkers affected by natural disasters declared by the State, beginning with Hurricane Sandy. The proposed Fund, which would be maintained by the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the State Comptroller, would allow both personal and corporate taxpayers to make voluntary contributions by checking a box on their annual state income tax returns.

In addition, Leader Kolb's legislation will also create a formal mechanism allowing for tax-deductible charitable donations to the New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund. Voluntary donations made through check-offs are not tax deductible, whereas donations made directly to the New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund will be. This two-pronged approach will help to raise funds for natural disaster relief by creating a convenient mechanism through an income tax return check-off, along with a beneficial mechanism to any taxpayer making a tax-deductible charitable donation to the New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Arkansas is the only state that presently provides an income tax return check-off for donations to a disaster relief fund, similar to the one that Leader Kolb's legislation seeks to create.

"Hurricane Sandy took the lives of New Yorkers, destroyed and damaged countless homes and personal property, and is ultimately expected to cost our state nearly $42 billion. The storm's human toll, coupled with the breadth of its financial impact, is like nothing the Empire State has ever seen," Leader Kolb said.

"The recovery and rebuilding effort will require New York State to stand together, and stand united, as one family. We need to find innovative avenues to leverage the financial generosity of New Yorkers to help their neighbors in need. One of many ways we can do so is by creating a new, voluntary New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund that allows taxpayers to donate whatever they can to aid in the recovery efforts. All donations to this Fund - down to the last penny - will be used for disaster relief and every donation will help our fellow New Yorkers who were in harm's way, are still hurting and need our assistance," Leader Kolb stated.

New Yorkers are currently allowed to check off on their state income tax forms to give voluntary contributions to eight different Funds:

  • Return a Gift to Wildlife (est. 1982);
  • Lake Placid Olympic Training Center Fund (est. 1995);
  • Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund (est. 1996);
  • Missing & Exploited Children Clearinghouse Fund (est. 1997);
  • Alzheimer's Disease Fund (est. 1999);
  • Prostate Cancer Research Fund (est. 2004);
  • World Trade Center Memorial Foundation Fund (est. 2005); and
  • Volunteer Firefighting & EMS Recruitment and Retention Fund (est. 2009).

Over the past five years, New York taxpayers have voluntarily contributed more than $10 million to these important Funds. More than 28,000 state taxpayers made voluntary contributions to the Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund in 2011 for a total of $488,878. Since its inception in 1996, this Fund has collected more than $8.5 million for breast cancer research, while the Return a Gift to Wildlife Fund has earned nearly $30 million since being established in 1982.

All told, nearly six million checked boxes have resulted in these eight Funds collecting almost $50 million total. The administrative costs for these voluntary funds are nominal, so taxpayers who contribute are assured that their financial generosity goes directly toward helping whatever cause they selected.

"When things are at their worst, New Yorkers are at their best. Recovering from Hurricane Sandy is a multi-year proposition that requires all of us to pitch in and pull together. In no way, shape, or form would this new Fund replace the important work already being done by non-profit disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross or other Funds. Instead, this new Fund is intended to complement those efforts. Creating a New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund is one more way to ensure that families and communities have additional financial resources to get back on their feet as quickly as possible," Leader Kolb said.

"Over time, having a Natural Disaster Relief Fund in place would be an important resource in helping ensure New York has additional financial resources at the ready to further aid recovery efforts and protect communities from future natural disasters. What matters most is creating the Fund, getting it on the books, and giving New Yorkers even more avenues to contribute toward Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts," Leader Kolb concluded.

Leader Kolb's New York State Natural Disaster Relief Fund legislative proposal is being submitted to the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. A formal bill draft will be circulated to all Assembly Members and State Senators for sponsorship.