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
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3747
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
Parks and Recreation
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
20 access, financial support received by museums from governmental and
21 other entities, and changes in such financial support since the creation
22 of these museums. To that end, the topics to be studied shall include,
23 but not be limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08118-01-5
S. 3747 2
1 a. the financial status of such museums, including assets, sources of
2 income, endowment portfolios, and expenses;
3 b. current policies and practices of such museums regarding public
4 access, with a focus on laws regarding free access and admission;
5 c. historic and current mission, purpose, and operations of such muse-
6 ums;
7 d. enabling legislation and other statutory requirements regarding
8 free public access and free admission;
9 e. historical changes in free access by the public; and
10 f. historical changes in support by various governmental entities,
11 including operational funding, use and value of land and buildings owned
12 by the state or the city of New York.
13 § 3. Report and recommendations. A report of the findings of such
14 study shall be filed with the governor, the temporary president of the
15 senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the
16 effective date of this act. The report shall include recommendations on
17 increasing public access, including expanding free public access, and an
18 analysis of what measures will need to be taken to ensure such access
19 while not undermining the operations or missions of the museums.
20 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
