NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A2068
SPONSOR: Carroll (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to the
establishment of regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks grants
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish a regional arts, cultural affairs and parks competitive
grant program. Each of the 10 regions of New York State would establish
a regional council made up local experts and stakeholders from arts,
cultural affairs and parks organizations within each region with the
purpose of issuing competitive grants to arts, cultural and parks organ-
izations in their respective region.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the arts and cultural affairs law by adding a new arti-
cle 6. 6.01 - Defines Regions and Regional Councils.
6.03 - Establishes the 10 Regions in New York State.
6.05 - The Governor establishes a regional council in each region made
up of local experts and stakeholders from arts, cultural and parks
organizations within region. The Governor shall appoint 5 members and
the Assembly and Senate shall appoint one member in each region.
6.05 (2) The Regional Councils with approval of Governor issue compet-
itive grants to arts, cultural and parks or organizations within their
region for capital projects
6.05 (2)(a) In the City Of New York region an equal amount of grant
money issued to organizations with operating budgets of ten million
dollars or more as is issued to organizations with operating budgets of
less than ten million dollars.
6.05 (2)(b) In all other regions an equal amount of grant money is
issued to organizations with operating budgets of five million dollars
or more as is issued to organizations with operating budgets of less
than five million dollars.
6.05 (3) Regional Councils will determine which organizations receive
competitive grant based on Governor's criteria
6.05 (4) Organizations may only receive a grant under this article once
every three years.
6.05 (5) No regional council shall issue grants totaling more than fifty
percent of such council's grant money issued in a calendar year to parks
organizations.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The arts are an integral driver of the state's economy and serve as
critical assets to communities. Data released in 2018 by the NEA and BEA
shows that the arts and cultural sector generate over $114 billion to
the New York State Economy and employ over 450,000 people across the
state. Additionally, the total number of on-site visits to NYSCA grantee
organizations in 2018 stood at over 171 million, with cultural tourists
estimated at over 53 million, 30 million of which are museum guests.
In 1988-1990, NYSCA's grant budget high was $54.3 Million, about $104.3
million in today's dollars. In FY22, NYSCA awarded approximately $100
million in grants meaning that funding has essentially remained flat.
Establishing a regional arts and cultural affairs competitive grant
program for arts, cultural and parks organizations will better allow for
so many worthy organizations around the state to receive grants and will
supplement NYSCA's efforts.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.608 of 2021-22
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2068
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CARROLL, DeSTEFANO, REYES, TAGUE, WILLIAMS --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, SAYEGH, SIMON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Develop-
ment
AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to the
establishment of regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks grants
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
2 new article 6 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 6
4 REGIONAL ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND PARKS GRANTS
5 Section 6.01. Definitions.
6 6.03. Establishment of arts, cultural affairs, and parks
7 regions.
8 6.05. Regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks competitive
9 grants.
10 § 6.01. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following
11 terms shall have the following meanings:
12 1. "Regions" shall mean the arts, cultural affairs, and parks regions
13 established in section 6.03 of this article.
14 2. "Regional councils" shall mean the councils which issue grants
15 under section 6.05 of this article.
16 § 6.03. Establishment of arts, cultural affairs, and parks regions.
17 Ten arts, cultural affairs, and parks regions shall be established with-
18 in the state, one for each of the following regions:
19 1. Long Island (which consists of Suffolk and Nassau counties);
20 2. the city of New York (which consists of Bronx, New York, Queens,
21 Kings, and Richmond counties);
22 3. the Mid-Hudson region (which consists of Sullivan, Ulster, Dutch-
23 ess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland counties);
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00141-01-3
A. 2068 2
1 4. the Southern tier (which consists of Steuben, Schuyler, Tompkins,
2 Chemung, Tioga, Chenango, Broome, and Delaware counties);
3 5. the Capital region (which consists of Warren, Washington, Saratoga,
4 Schenectady, Rensselaer, Albany, Columbia, and Greene counties);
5 6. the Mohawk valley (which consists of Oneida, Herkimer, Fulton,
6 Montgomery, Otsego, and Schoharie counties);
7 7. the North country (which consists of Clinton, Franklin, St.
8 Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Hamilton, and Essex counties);
9 8. the Central region (which consists of Oswego, Cayuga, Onondaga,
10 Madison, and Cortland counties);
11 9. the Finger Lakes region (which consists of Orleans, Monroe, Wayne,
12 Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, and Yates counties); and
13 10. the Western region (which consists of Niagara, Erie, Chautauqua,
14 Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties).
15 § 6.05. Regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks competitive grants.
16 1. The governor shall, in each region, establish a council who shall
17 issue competitive grants within the region. The members of each regional
18 council shall be local experts and stakeholders from arts and cultural
19 affairs organizations and parks organizations within the region. Each
20 regional council shall have seven total members appointed to such coun-
21 cil. Five members of each regional council shall be appointed by the
22 governor and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor, one member of
23 each regional council shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly
24 and serve at the pleasure of the assembly, and one member of each
25 regional council shall be appointed by the temporary president of the
26 senate and serve at the pleasure of the senate. All members of the
27 regional councils shall be subject to the provisions of section seven-
28 ty-three-a of the public officers law.
29 2. The regional councils shall, with approval from the governor, issue
30 competitive grants to arts and cultural affairs organizations and parks
31 organizations within their region for capital projects such that:
32 (a) in the city of New York region, an equal amount of grant money is
33 issued to organizations with operating budgets of ten million dollars or
34 more as is issued to organizations with operating budgets of less than
35 ten million dollars; and
36 (b) in all other regions, an equal amount of grant money is issued to
37 organizations with operating budgets of five million dollars or more as
38 is issued to organizations with operating budgets of less than five
39 million dollars.
40 3. The regional councils shall determine which organization shall
41 receive a competitive grant based on criteria established by the gover-
42 nor for such purpose.
43 4. No regional council shall issue a grant to an organization which
44 has received a grant under this article within the prior three years.
45 5. No regional council shall issue grants totaling more than fifty
46 percent of such council's grant money issued in a calendar year to parks
47 organizations.
48 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.