Establishes a separate states working group to conduct a study on Long Island statehood which includes a cost benefit analysis on Long Island statehood.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5274
SPONSOR: Brown K TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to establishing a separate states working group to
conduct a study on Long Island statehood; and providing for the repeal
of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establishes a separate states working group to conduct a study on Long
Island statehood.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: There is hereby established within the office of the state
comptroller a working group to be known as the "separate states working
group". The working group shall conduct a study examining dividing New
York into separate states by having the counties of Nassau and Suffolk,
hereinafter referred to as "Long Island", become a separate state.
Section 2: Identifies the working group designations.
Section 3: At the conclusion of the study, the working group will deliv-
er a report of its findings to the governor, the speaker of the assem-
bly, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the
assembly, the minority leader of the senate and the comptroller. Such
report shall be submitted no later than twelve months following the
effective date of this act.
Section 4: The members and staff personnel of the separate states work-
ing group shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible to
receive reimbursement for their reasonable, actual and necessary
expenses, provided however, members of the working group representing
state agencies may receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary
expenses from their respective agencies. Members of the separate states
working group shall be considered state employees for the purposes of
sections 17 and 19 of the public officers law.
Section 5: For the purposes of this act, the comptroller may conduct
such study in conjunction with any other department, division, board,
bureau, commission, agency, or public authority of the state he or she
deems necessary. To the maximum extent feasible, the comptroller shall
be authorized to request, receive, and utilize such resources and data
of any other department, division, board, bureau, commission, agency, or
public authority of the state as he or she may reasonably request to
properly carry out his or her powers and duties pursuant to this act.
Section 6: Identifies effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Nassau and Suffolk Counties pay a disproportionate amount of taxes to
New York State compared to the amount of tax benefits they receive. In
addition, the two Long Island counties politically have entirely differ-
ent issues than the rest of the state. This bill would require the state
comptroller's office to create a working group to study dividing Nassau
and Suffolk Counties from the rest of the state and the impact of same.
The study would include, but not limited to, a cost benefit analysis,
the legal ramifications of separating New York into two separate states;
the cost of creating two new state governments, the separation of the
physical and organizational infrastructure, and the cost of settling
land disputes; the constitutional steps necessary to separate New York
into two separate states; and any constitutional precedents in the
United States for dividing a state into two separate states.
The working group shall consist of the following: the state comptroller
and his or her designee; one member appointed by the comptroller; the
attorney general and his or her designee; one member appointed by the
attorney general; two members appointed by the governor; one member
appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member appointed by the
temporary president of the senate; one member appointed by the minority
leader of the assembly; one member appointed by the minority leader of
the senate; two members appointed by the New York State Association of
Counties; two members appointed by the New York State Conference of
Mayors and Municipal Officials; and two members appointed by the Associ-
ation of Towns of the State of New York.
At the conclusion of the study, the working group will deliver a report
of its findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the tempo-
rary president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the
minority leader of the senate and the comptroller. Such report shall be
submitted no later than twelve months following the effective date of
this act.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.05760
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed two years after such date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5274
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT in relation to establishing a separate states working group to
conduct a study on Long Island statehood; and providing for the repeal
of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. There is hereby established within the office of the state
2 comptroller a working group to be known as the "separate states working
3 group". The working group shall conduct a study examining dividing New
4 York into separate states by having the counties of Nassau and Suffolk,
5 hereinafter referred to as "Long Island", become a separate state. Such
6 study shall include, but not be limited to:
7 (a) a cost benefit analysis of separating New York into two separate
8 states, including, but not limited to, economic opportunity for both
9 areas;
10 (b) the legal ramifications of separating New York into two separate
11 states;
12 (c) the general up-front cost associated with separating New York into
13 two separate states, exclusive of the long-term economic ramifications,
14 including, but not limited to the cost of creating two new state govern-
15 ments, the separation of the physical and organizational infrastructure,
16 and the cost of settling land disputes;
17 (d) the constitutional steps necessary to separate New York into two
18 separate states; and
19 (e) any constitutional precedents in the United States for dividing a
20 state into two separate states.
21 § 2. The working group shall consist of the following:
22 (a) the state comptroller and their designee;
23 (b) one member appointed by the comptroller;
24 (c) the attorney general and their designee;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06294-01-5
A. 5274 2
1 (d) one member appointed by the attorney general;
2 (e) two members appointed by the governor;
3 (f) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
4 (g) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
5 (h) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
6 (i) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
7 (j) two members appointed by the New York State Association of Coun-
8 ties;
9 (k) two members appointed by the New York State Conference of Mayors
10 and Municipal Officials; and
11 (l) two members appointed by the Association of Towns of the State of
12 New York.
13 § 3. At the conclusion of the study, the working group will deliver a
14 report of its findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the
15 temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly,
16 the minority leader of the senate and the comptroller. Such report shall
17 be submitted no later than twelve months following the effective date of
18 this act.
19 § 4. The members and staff personnel of the separate states working
20 group shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible to receive
21 reimbursement for their reasonable, actual and necessary expenses,
22 provided however, members of the working group representing state agen-
23 cies may receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses
24 from their respective agencies. Members of the separate states working
25 group shall be considered state employees for the purposes of sections
26 17 and 19 of the public officers law.
27 § 5. For the purposes of this act, the comptroller may conduct such
28 study in conjunction with any other department, division, board, bureau,
29 commission, agency, or public authority of the state they deem neces-
30 sary. To the maximum extent feasible, the comptroller shall be author-
31 ized to request, receive, and utilize such resources and data of any
32 other department, division, board, bureau, commission, agency, or public
33 authority of the state as they may reasonably request to properly carry
34 out their powers and duties pursuant to this act.
35 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
36 deemed repealed two years after such date.
