Prohibits a public officer or member of the legislature from have a building or space named after himself or herself while he or she holds public office based on the fact that such person was responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity involved in naming the building or for securing public funds for the person's or entity's cause or agenda.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4068
SPONSOR: McDonald
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public officers law and the legislative law, in
relation to the prohibition of naming buildings after public officials
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit naming a building after a public
official who was responsible for securing public funds for the person or
entity naming the building. This will not apply to deceased or retired
public officials.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Sections 1 and 2 amend the public officers law and the legislative law
by adding new sections, 79-a and 7-h, respectively. No parson who is
subject to the provisions of these chapters shall have a building named
or cause a building to be named after himself or herself, while he or
she holds public office, based on the fact that such a person was
responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity involved
in naming the building or for securing public funds for the person' or
entity's cause or agenda.
Section 3 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation prohibits the naming of a building after an elected
official that helped secure state funding for an entity while that
elected official is still in office should be prohibited. While the
elected officials responsible for securing the funding should be
commended, a structure bearing the name of that elected official seems
to imply that he/she donated their own personal funds. Ultimately, it
is the taxpayers who make such expenditures.
Further, this bill would prevent the perception of any quid pro quo
agreements between elected officials and the entities that receive state
funds.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.6132 of 2013-2014 Referred to Finance
A.10293 of 2004 Referred to Government Operations
A.3424 of 2005-2006 Referred to Government Operations
A.2695 of 2007-2008 Reported to Rules
S.3081 of 2009-2010 Referred to Finance
A.2839 of 2011-2012 Referred to Governmental Operations
A.4439/S.3118 2015-2016
A.2816 2017-2018
A.3735 2019-2020
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4068
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 9, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law and the legislative law, in
relation to the prohibition of naming buildings after public officials
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section
2 79-a to read as follows:
3 § 79-a. Prohibition on the naming of buildings. No person who is
4 subject to the provisions of this chapter shall have a building or space
5 named or cause a building or space to be named after himself or herself
6 while he or she holds public office based on the fact that such person
7 was responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity
8 involved in naming the building or for securing public funds for the
9 person's or entity's cause or agenda.
10 § 2. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 7-h to
11 read as follows:
12 § 7-h. Prohibition on the naming of buildings. No person who is
13 subject to the provisions of this chapter shall have a building or space
14 named or cause a building or space to be named after himself or herself
15 while he or she holds public office based on the fact that such person
16 was responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity
17 involved in naming the building or for securing public funds for the
18 person's or entity's cause or agenda.
19 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04929-01-3