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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5265--A
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
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. The department of economic development, in conjunc-
2 tion with the empire state development corporation, the department of
3 education, the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation,
4 the department of environmental conservation, the department of state,
5 the New York city department of cultural affairs, the New York city
6 parks department, and the New York state council on the arts, is hereby
7 directed to conduct a comprehensive study on increasing public access to
8 and laws requiring free public access to museums in New York city. The
9 museums that shall be identified in such study operate as and shall
10 include, but not be limited to the American Museum of Natural History,
11 Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Children's
12 Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, New York Botan-
13 ical Garden, New York Hall of Science, Staten Island Museum, Staten
14 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. Such study shall include, but not be limited to:
17 1. Taking a census of such museums as at the end of the fiscal year
18 2018, including information on the size, including but not limited to
19 total land area, square footage and number of buildings, history of
20 general operating expenses, history of municipal operating, rent actual-
21 ly paid or the value of the rent forgiven, hours of operation, visitor
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05458-03-4
S. 5265--A 2
1 statistics, including attendance figures calculated using tickets
2 presented to cashiers and reported as complimentary, full fare or
3 discounted, and individuals exempted from paying fees such as students,
4 professors and teachers, military or persons with disabilities, zip
5 codes of visitors, identification of the 2018 dollar benefits from
6 taxpayer dollars from city and state agency budgets, and description of
7 terms of free rent.
8 2. Identifying the market value of each museum's 2018 investment and
9 restricted and unrestricted endowment portfolios.
10 3. Providing information, including but not limited to, the provisions
11 of controlling laws and contracts pertaining to such museums' initial or
12 amended incorporating purpose and obligation to provide free admission
13 and/or instruction, laws appropriating public funds for operating or
14 capital costs, as well as offering opinions to inform the legislature as
15 to whether such museums' policies and practices are in compliance with
16 controlling laws and contracts and how to increase public access to such
17 museums and the continued accessibility and availability to all New
18 Yorkers in consideration for their financial support of such museums,
19 and to craft a reporting system that ensures effective and answerable
20 oversight of such museums' compliance with statutes, codes, laws and
21 complying agreements.
22 § 2. Report. A report of the findings of such study, opinions, and
23 recommendations, shall be filed with the governor, the temporary presi-
24 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than one
25 year after the effective date of this act.
26 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
