Bill Text: NY A05305 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires a three year moratorium on unfunded mandates from the legislature; invalidates legislation that does not contain a detailed fiscal note identifying a funding source for certain costs to a political subdivision; repeals existing unfunded mandates as determined by the Mandate Relief Council.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 27-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-21 - print number 5305a [A05305 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A05305-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5305
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 15, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. MURRAY, BARCLAY, CASTELLI, CONTE, CORWIN, GIGLIO,
         McLAUGHLIN,  MOLINARO,  MONTESANO,  RABBITT, SAYWARD, THIELE -- Multi-
         Sponsored by -- M. of A.  FITZPATRICK -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Local Governments
       AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to unfunded mandates on
         local governments and school districts
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 51-a
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S  51-A.  MORATORIUM  ON UNFUNDED MANDATES. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN
    4  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
    5    (A) "LOCAL GOVERNMENT" MEANS A COUNTY,  CITY,  TOWN,  VILLAGE,  SCHOOL
    6  DISTRICT, OR SPECIAL DISTRICT.
    7    (B)  "NET  ADDITIONAL COST" MEANS THE COST OR COSTS INCURRED OR ANTIC-
    8  IPATED TO BE INCURRED WITHIN A ONE YEAR PERIOD BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT  IN
    9  PERFORMING  OR  ADMINISTERING  ANY  PROGRAM,  PROJECT, OR ACTIVITY AFTER
   10  SUBTRACTING THEREFROM ANY REVENUES RECEIVED OR RECEIVABLE BY SUCH  LOCAL
   11  GOVERNMENT  IN RELATION TO SUCH PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR ACTIVITY, INCLUDING
   12  BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   13    (I) FEES CHARGED TO THE RECIPIENTS OF SUCH PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR ACTIV-
   14  ITY;
   15    (II) STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS RECEIVED FOR  SUCH  PROGRAM,  PROJECT,  OR
   16  ACTIVITY; AND
   17    (III)  AN  OFFSETTING  SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE DIMINUTION OR ELIMI-
   18  NATION OF ANY  OTHER  PROGRAM,  PROJECT,  OR  ACTIVITY  THAT  STATE  LAW
   19  REQUIRES SUCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE OR UNDERTAKE.
   20    (C) "UNFUNDED MANDATE" MEANS:
   21    (I)  ANY  STATE  LAW  THAT  REQUIRES  A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE OR
   22  UNDERTAKE ANY NEW PROGRAM, PROJECT OR ACTIVITY THAT RESULTS IN AN ANNUAL
   23  NET ADDITIONAL COST TO ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EXCESS  OF  TEN  THOUSAND
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08962-01-1
       A. 5305                             2
    1  DOLLARS  OR AN AGGREGATE ANNUAL NET ADDITIONAL COST TO ALL LOCAL GOVERN-
    2  MENTS WITHIN THE STATE IN EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS; OR
    3    (II) ANY STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE A HIGH-
    4  ER  LEVEL  OF  SERVICE  OR  FUNDING  FOR AN EXISTING PROGRAM, PROJECT OR
    5  ACTIVITY THAT RESULTS IN AN ANNUAL NET  ADDITIONAL  COST  TO  ANY  LOCAL
    6  GOVERNMENT  IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS OR AN AGGREGATE ANNUAL NET
    7  ADDITIONAL COST TO ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITHIN THE STATE IN  EXCESS  OF
    8  ONE MILLION DOLLARS; OR
    9    (III)  ANY STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO GRANT ANY NEW
   10  PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION OR THAT BROADENS THE ELIGIBILITY OR INCREASES THE
   11  DOLLAR AMOUNT OF ANY EXISTING PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION, ON  PROPERTY  THAT
   12  OTHERWISE  WOULD  HAVE  GENERATED REVENUE UNDER THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX
   13  RATE OF SUCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS  IN  ANY
   14  LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR IN EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS STATEWIDE; OR
   15    (IV) ANY STATE LAW WITH A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE LIKE-
   16  LY  HAVE  THE EFFECT OF RAISING PROPERTY TAXES IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND
   17  DOLLARS IN ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR IN  EXCESS  OF  ONE  MILLION  DOLLARS
   18  STATEWIDE.
   19    2.  MORATORIUM ON UNFUNDED MANDATES. FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING
   20  WITH THE ENACTMENT OF THIS SECTION, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER  PROVISION
   21  OF LAW, NO UNFUNDED MANDATES SHALL BE ENACTED.
   22    3.  EXEMPTIONS.  (A)  A  STATE LAW SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED AN UNFUNDED
   23  MANDATE WHERE SUCH LAW:
   24    (I) IS REQUIRED BY A COURT ORDER OR JUDGMENT; OR
   25    (II) IS PROVIDED AT THE OPTION OF THE LOCAL  GOVERNMENT  UNDER  A  LAW
   26  THAT IS PERMISSIVE RATHER THAN MANDATORY; OR
   27    (III)  RESULTS FROM THE PASSAGE OF A HOME RULE MESSAGE WHEREBY A LOCAL
   28  GOVERNMENT REQUESTS AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM OR SERVICE SPECI-
   29  FIED IN THE STATUTE, AND THE STATUTE IMPOSES COSTS ONLY UPON THAT  LOCAL
   30  GOVERNMENT  WHICH  REQUESTS  THE  AUTHORITY  TO  IMPOSE  THE  PROGRAM OR
   31  SERVICE; OR
   32    (IV) IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE  OR  EXECUTIVE  ORDER  THAT  IMPLEMENTS  A
   33  FEDERAL LAW OR REGULATION AND RESULTS FROM COSTS MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL
   34  GOVERNMENT  TO BE BORNE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UNLESS THE STATUTE OR EXECU-
   35  TIVE ORDER RESULTS IN COSTS WHICH  EXCEED  THE  COSTS  MANDATED  BY  THE
   36  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; OR
   37    (V)  IS  IMPOSED ON BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN THE
   38  SAME OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES; OR
   39    (VI) REPEALS OR REVISES A STATE LAW TO EASE  AN  EXISTING  REQUIREMENT
   40  THAT  A  LOCAL  GOVERNMENT  PROVIDE  OR UNDERTAKE A PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR
   41  ACTIVITY, OR REAPPORTIONS THE COSTS OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN LOCAL  GOVERN-
   42  MENTS; OR
   43    (VII)  IS  NECESSARY  TO PROTECT AGAINST AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO PUBLIC
   44  HEALTH OR SAFETY.
   45    (B) THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANY ACT ESTABLISHING A MANDATE SHALL PROVIDE
   46  A REASONABLE TIME FOR THE STATE AND ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PLAN  IMPLE-
   47  MENTATION  THEREOF  AND  SHALL  BE  CONSISTENT  WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF
   48  REQUIRED FUNDS.
   49    S 2. Section 51 of the legislative law, as added by chapter 985 of the
   50  laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows:
   51    S 51. Fiscal [impact] notes on bills affecting political subdivisions.
   52  1. For the purpose of this section,  the  term  "political  subdivision"
   53  means  any  county,  city,  town,  village,  special  district or school
   54  district.
   55    2. [The legislature shall by concurrent resolution of the  senate  and
   56  assembly prescribe rules requiring fiscal notes to accompany, on a sepa-
       A. 5305                             3
    1  rate form, bills and amendments to bills, except as otherwise prescribed
    2  by  such rules, which] A BILL THAT would substantially affect the reven-
    3  ues or expenses, or both, of any political subdivision SHALL  CONTAIN  A
    4  FISCAL  NOTE STATING THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST TO THE POLITICAL SUBDIVI-
    5  SION AFFECTED AND THE SOURCE OF SUCH ESTIMATE.
    6    3. Fiscal notes shall not, however, be required for bills: (a) subject
    7  to the provisions of section fifty of this chapter, or  (b)  accompanied
    8  by  special  home  rule requests submitted by political subdivisions, or
    9  (c) which provide discretionary authority to political subdivisions,  or
   10  (d) submitted pursuant to section twenty-four of the state finance law.
   11    4. If the estimate or estimates contained in a fiscal note are inaccu-
   12  rate,  such  inaccuracies  shall  not  affect, impair or invalidate such
   13  bill.
   14    S 3. The Mandate Relief Redesign Team,  as  established  by  Executive
   15  Order  Number  Six  of  2011,  shall  review  existing mandates on local
   16  governments to determine which shall be eliminated.
   17    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately, provided,  however,  that
   18  section  one  of  this  act  shall only apply to laws enacted after such
   19  effective date.
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