Authorizes the empire state development corporation to develop a public awareness campaign promoting businesses located in New York state with an emphasis on small businesses and the need to shop in downtown local areas; requires the creation of the Buy New York Online Networking Directory to connect purchasers with businesses located in New York.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8248
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. BASKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Devel-
opment and Small Business
AN ACT authorizing the empire state development corporation to develop a
public awareness campaign promoting businesses located in New York
state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. 1. The empire state development corporation shall develop,
2 establish and implement a public awareness campaign promoting businesses
3 located in New York state and encouraging individuals and businesses to
4 purchase products and services from such businesses, with an emphasis on
5 the need to shop at and support local small businesses as defined pursu-
6 ant to section 131 of the economic development law, as well as the need
7 to shop at and support local downtown areas.
8 2. The campaign shall include an internet website providing informa-
9 tion on businesses located in New York state and their available
10 products and services including a Buy New York Online Networking Direc-
11 tory. The owner of any business located and operated in this state may
12 apply to the empire state development corporation to have such owner's
13 business included on such directory. The directory shall include, but
14 not be limited to, participating businesses' names, addresses, contact
15 information, including telephone number, fax, e-mail and website
16 address, products or services offered with a brief description, and any
17 additional information, including history, hours and dates of operation,
18 and number of employees. The names of businesses participating in such
19 directory shall be organized by specific categories based on the various
20 goods or services that such business provides. Such directory shall be
21 searchable by such specific categories including, but not limited to,
22 small businesses as defined pursuant to section 131 of the economic
23 development law. Such directory shall also include a search capability
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05090-01-5
S. 8248 2
1 to allow for participating businesses to be searched by the products or
2 services they offer.
3 3. The public awareness campaign shall be made available to the public
4 by any means deemed appropriate by the empire state development corpo-
5 ration including, but not limited to, internet, radio, and print adver-
6 tising such as brochures, billboards and posters. The campaign may also
7 identify and recruit individuals to serve as visible, public ambassadors
8 to promote this message.
9 4. The campaign shall begin no later than January 1, 2027. The empire
10 state development corporation shall prepare an annual report to the
11 governor and the legislature on or before December first of each year on
12 the public awareness campaign, including: (a) actions taken by the
13 empire state development corporation to carry out the public awareness
14 campaign and (b) an assessment of the necessary appropriations for the
15 empire state development corporation to meet the needs of the campaign
16 in the next fiscal year.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
