NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1019A
SPONSOR: Gunther TITLE OF BILL: An act to create a temporary New York state women's
suffrage 100th anniversary commemoration commission, and providing for
its powers and duties; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Establishes the New York State
Women's Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration Commission and provides
for its powers and duties.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Creates the New York State Women's
Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration and provides for the powers and
duties of the commission. Provides that the Commission shall consist of
14 members including the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Econom-
ic Development, the president of the League of Women Voters of New York
State, the superintendent of the Women's Rights National Historical
Park, the president of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, the direc-
tor of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, the president of 2020:
Project Women, Inc., a member of the board of the New York Council for
the Humanities (non-voting) and a member appointed by each: the Gover-
nor; the temporary president of the Senate; Speaker of the Assembly;
minority leader of the Senate; and the minority leader of the Assembly.
JUSTIFICATION: From Anne Hutchinson to Susan B. Anthony to Gloria
Steinem, the women of New York State have powerfully shaped both our
local and national histories. 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of
women's suffrage in New York, a milestone moment for the state and the
nation and a moment that continues to resonate to the present day. Equal
opportunity is as important a topic today as it was when Susan B.
Anthony was arrested in Rochester for attempting to vote.
This commission will plan and execute an organized series of statewide
events and programs that celebrate the accomplishment of women's
suffrage and the central role of New Yorkers and New York State in this
national and international milestone.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2014: A9775 Referred to Governmental
Operations/S7583 Referred to Finance
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately and shall
expire and be deemed repealed December 31 2020.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1019--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, BLAKE, LUPINACCI, DUPREY, MARKEY,
LAVINE, O'DONNELL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GARBARINO,
PEOPLES-STOKES, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to create a temporary New York state women's suffrage 100th anni-
versary commemoration commission, and providing for its powers and
duties; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira-
tion thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds and
2 declares there is a need to create a New York state women's suffrage
3 100th anniversary commemoration commission to promote the 100th anniver-
4 sary of women's suffrage, which will take place between the years 2017
5 and 2020. The primary focus of the New York state women's suffrage 100th
6 anniversary commemoration commission will be to plan and execute an
7 organized series of statewide programs that celebrate the accomplishment
8 of women's suffrage and the central role of New Yorkers and New York
9 state in this milestone, while also helping shape the future to ensure a
10 more just and equitable society for all. The legislature finds that the
11 creation of a New York state women's suffrage 100th anniversary commem-
12 oration commission is necessary to bring together persons qualified by
13 experience and/or by powers vested in them by their offices to coordi-
14 nate and facilitate such a multi-year event.
15 § 2. New York state women's suffrage 100th anniversary commemoration
16 commission; created. (a) There is hereby created a temporary state
17 commission to be known as the "New York state women's suffrage 100th
18 anniversary commemoration commission".
19 (b) As used in this act, "commission" means the New York state women's
20 suffrage 100th anniversary commemoration commission.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02205-04-5
A. 1019--A 2
1 (c) (1) The commission shall consist of 14 members as follows:
2 (i) the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation,
3 or his or her duly designated representative;
4 (ii) the commissioner of education, or his or her duly designated
5 representative;
6 (iii) the commissioner of economic development, or his or her duly
7 designated representative;
8 (iv) the president of the League of Women Voters of New York State;
9 (v) the superintendent of the Women's Rights National Historical Park;
10 (vi) the president of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House;
11 (vii) the director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation;
12 (viii) the president of 2020: Project Women, Inc.;
13 (ix) a member of the board of the New York Council for the Humanities
14 as a non-voting member;
15 (x) one member appointed by the governor;
16 (xi) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
17 (xii) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
18 (xiii) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
19 (xiv) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
20 assembly.
21 The five members appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (x)-(xiv) of this
22 paragraph shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing official. Vacan-
23 cies shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
24 (2) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
25 their services but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary
26 expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties.
27 (3) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special
28 or local law, ordinance, resolution or charter, no officer, member or
29 employee of the state or of any public corporation shall forfeit his or
30 her office or employment by reason of his or her acceptance of appoint-
31 ment as a member of the commission, nor shall service as such commission
32 member be deemed incompatible or in conflict with such office or employ-
33 ment.
34 (4) The commission shall appoint such staff as may be necessary to
35 carry out its duties. Such staff shall receive no compensation for their
36 services but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses
37 incurred by them in the performance of the commission's duties.
38 § 3. Powers and duties of the commission. The commission shall have
39 the following powers and duties:
40 (a) To coordinate the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of
41 women's suffrage for the years 2017 through 2020;
42 (b) To plan and execute an organized series of events surrounding
43 women's suffrage;
44 (c) To utilize a portfolio of public humanities programs to engage the
45 citizens of New York with the important issues inherent to the women's
46 suffrage initiative; and
47 (d) To hold lectures exploring how women have shaped history and
48 continue to form the history of New York state.
49 § 4. The commission may meet and hold public hearings and events with-
50 in the state.
51 § 5. The commission may request and shall receive from any subdivi-
52 sion, department, board, commission, office, agency, or other instrumen-
53 tality of the state or of any political subdivision thereof such facili-
54 ties, assistance and data reasonably available as it deems necessary or
55 desirable for the proper execution of its powers and duties and to
56 effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
A. 1019--A 3
1 § 6. The commission is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into
2 any agreements and to do and perform any acts that may be necessary,
3 desirable or proper to carry out the purposes and objectives of this
4 act, including entering into contracts with entities for grant and
5 re-granting of programs to develop and implement the above.
6 § 7. The performance of the commission's duties, purposes and objec-
7 tives shall be executed within amounts made available by appropriation
8 therefor.
9 § 8. The commission shall continue in existence until December 31,
10 2020.
11 § 9. This act shall take effect April 1, 2016 and shall expire and be
12 deemed repealed December 31, 2020.
