Enacts the "politician self-immortalization prevention act"; provides that no facility supported by state funds may be named after a living public official unless such person has been out of public service for at least ten years.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A293
SPONSOR: Rozic (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public officers law, in relation
to enacting the "politician self-immortalization prevention act"
PURPOSE: The purpose of this bill is to eliminate the politicization
of naming facilities after sitting public officials, by prohibiting such
namings while a public official is still in office.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section I amends the public officers law by adding a new section, 73-c.
This section prohibits the naming of facilities whose construction,
rehabilitation or operation is supported by state funds after any public
official who is living unless they have been out of public office for at
least ten years. This prohibition will not apply when the legislature
approves the naming of the facility in accordance with section fourteen
of article three of the state constitution, and when the governor
approves the naming in a manner provided for in section seven of article
four of the state constitution. The attorney general may initiate a
civil action against any entity that violates the provisions of this new
section.
Section II sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: The naming of a facility which is supported by state
funds after an elected official while that elected official is still in
office should be prohibited. This legislation would prevent the percep-
tion of any quid pro quo agreements between elected officials and enti-
ties that receive state funds. Further, this prohibition opens munici-
palities up to revenue generating possibilities by allowing for the
process of open bidding for naming rights.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2014: A09126 (Rozic) - Governmental Oper-
ations 2012: A00203 (Lancman) - Governmental Operations 2011: A00203
(Lancman) - Governmental Operations 2010: A09909 (Lancman) - Govern-
mental Operations
FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE: None.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
293
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 7, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC, ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to enacting the
"politician self-immortalization prevention act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "politician self-immortalization prevention act".
3 § 2. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 73-c
4 to read as follows:
5 § 73-c. Naming of facilities after public officials; prohibited. 1.
6 No facility, the construction, rehabilitation or operation of which is
7 supported by state funds, may be named after a living person who is
8 subject to the provisions of this article unless such person has been
9 out of public office for at least ten years.
10 2. The prohibition set forth in this section shall not apply where the
11 legislature approves the naming of such facility in the manner provided
12 for in section fourteen of article three of the state constitution, and
13 the governor approves the naming of such facility in the manner provided
14 for in section seven of article four of the state constitution.
15 3. Where any person, municipal corporation or other entity violates
16 the provisions of this section, the attorney general may initiate a
17 civil action to enforce the prohibition set forth in this section.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01169-01-5
