Directs the department of economic development, in conjunction with various departments and offices, to conduct a study regarding increasing public access to museums in New York city; directs a report on such study to be submitted no later than one year after the effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5265--B
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 1, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. CLEARE, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs,
Tourism, Parks and Recreation -- recommitted to the Committee on
Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation in accordance with
Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to direct the department of economic development to conduct a
study regarding increasing public access to museums in New York city
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Study. a. The department of economic development, in
2 conjunction with the empire state development corporation, the depart-
3 ment of education, the office of parks, recreation and historic preser-
4 vation, the department of environmental conservation, the department of
5 state, the New York city department of cultural affairs, the New York
6 city parks department, and the New York state council on the arts, is
7 hereby directed to conduct a comprehensive study on increasing public
8 access to museums in New York city.
9 b. The museums that shall be identified in such study operate as and
10 shall include, but not be limited to the American Museum of Natural
11 History, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn
12 Children's Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, New
13 York Botanical Garden, New York Hall of Science, Staten Island Museum,
14 Staten Island Zoo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wave Hill, Bronx Zoo,
15 Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Flor-
16 ham Park Zoo.
17 § 2. Scope. The study shall focus on current barriers to public
18 access, historical access by the public, laws governing free public
19 access, the financial and operational impact of increasing public
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05458-07-4
S. 5265--B 2
1 access, financial support received by museums from governmental and
2 other entities, and changes in such financial support since the creation
3 of these museums. To that end, the topics to be studied shall include,
4 but not be limited to:
5 a. the financial status of such museums, including assets, sources of
6 income, endowment portfolios, and expenses;
7 b. current policies and practices of such museums regarding public
8 access, with a focus on laws regarding free access and admission;
9 c. historic and current mission, purpose, and operations of such muse-
10 ums;
11 d. enabling legislation and other statutory requirements regarding
12 free public access and free admission;
13 e. historical changes in free access by the public; and
14 f. historical changes in support by various governmental entities,
15 including operational funding, use and value of land and buildings owned
16 by the state or the city of New York.
17 § 3. Report and recommendations. A report of the findings of such
18 study shall be filed with the governor, the temporary president of the
19 senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the
20 effective date of this act. The report shall include recommendations on
21 increasing public access, including expanding free public access, and an
22 analysis of what measures will need to be taken to ensure such access
23 while not undermining the operations or missions of the museums.
24 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
