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S06790 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          6790
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                      May 10, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
        AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to create  a  comprehen-
          sive  plan  for  the  future  of the Southampton campus of Stony Brook
          University

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that
     2  in  2006, the state of New York acquired and established a new campus at
     3  Southampton under the auspices of Stony Brook University.  The  legisla-
     4  ture  further finds that it has made a commitment to maintain and expand
     5  opportunities for higher education at this campus.
     6    However, Stony Brook University has failed to achieve the full  poten-
     7  tial  of  the  campus. Seventeen years after assuming stewardship of the
     8  Southampton campus, Stony Brook  University  has  failed  to  adopt  and
     9  implement  a long term plan for the campus. In fact, of the 41 buildings
    10  located on the campus, 17 are considered to be unsafe for use and  occu-
    11  pancy, including historic Southampton Hall. Further, Stony Brook Univer-
    12  sity  has  failed to even apply for state and federal funding that could
    13  have been utilized to restore or replace these buildings for future  use
    14  on the campus.
    15    Such neglect is unacceptable.
    16    A vision for the future of the campus must be created working with the
    17  local  community.  The first step to create that vision and realize that
    18  the full potential of the campus is the development of  a  comprehensive
    19  plan for the Southampton campus. Such a comprehensive plan will identify
    20  the  capital  investment and programmatic initiatives that are necessary
    21  to achieve the full potential of the campus.
    22    Therefore, the intent of this legislation is to establish a task force
    23  to create a comprehensive plan for the future of the Southampton campus.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10862-01-3

        S. 6790                             2
 
     1    § 2. 1. There is hereby created the Southampton  campus  comprehensive
     2  plan task force.
     3    2.  Such  task force shall consist of 7 voting members as follows: (a)
     4  the member of the senate representing the campus; (b) the member of  the
     5  assembly  representing  the  campus;  (c)  the Suffolk county legislator
     6  representing the campus; (d) the town supervisor of the town  of  South-
     7  ampton;  (e)  the  village  mayor of the village of Southampton; (f) the
     8  chairman of the tribal trustees of the Shinnecock Indian Nation; and (g)
     9  the president of Stony Brook University, or their  designees.  The  task
    10  force  shall  be  empowered to appoint a community advisory committee of
    11  not more than 15 members to include representatives of  business,  envi-
    12  ronmental, educational, civic, and community interests.
    13    3. The chair of the task force shall be elected by the task force from
    14  among  its  members.  Four  members of the task force shall constitute a
    15  quorum for the purposes of organizing the task force and conducting  the
    16  meetings  thereof.  Members of the task force shall serve without salary
    17  or other compensation. The task force shall meet not less  than  once  a
    18  month at the Southampton campus until a final report and recommendations
    19  are submitted in accordance with subdivision six of this section.
    20    4. Such task force shall develop recommendations for the future use of
    21  the  Southampton  campus,  including  but not limited to a comprehensive
    22  plan and a 5 year action plan. Such plan shall consider both the capital
    23  and program needs of the campus to maximize  its  full  educational  and
    24  community  potential.  The state university and all other state agencies
    25  shall provide their expertise and, where possible,  their  resources  to
    26  assist the task force in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities.
    27    5.  Within  2 months of the effective date of this act, the task force
    28  shall hold a public hearing. Additional hearings  may  be  held  at  the
    29  discretion  of  the  task  force. The task force shall adopt preliminary
    30  recommendations within 6 months of  the  effective  date  of  this  act.
    31  Following  the  adoption  of  such preliminary recommendations, the task
    32  force shall hold at least one additional public hearing.
    33    6. The task force shall develop and submit a final report of recommen-
    34  dations to the governor, the temporary president of the senate  and  the
    35  speaker  of  the  assembly within 9 months of the effective date of this
    36  act.
    37    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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