Bill Text: NY A05760 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a separate states working group to conduct a study on Long Island statehood which includes a cost benefit analysis on Long Island statehood.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to governmental operations [A05760 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A05760-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5760

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Governmental Operations

        AN  ACT  in  relation to establishing a separate states working group to
          conduct a study on Long Island statehood; and providing for the repeal
          of such provisions upon the expiration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. There is hereby established within the office of the state
     2  comptroller a working group to be known as the "separate states  working
     3  group".  The  working group shall conduct a study examining dividing New
     4  York into separate states by having the counties of Nassau and  Suffolk,
     5  hereinafter  referred to as "Long Island", become a separate state. Such
     6  study shall include, but not be limited to:
     7    (a) a cost benefit analysis of separating New York into  two  separate
     8  states,  including,  but  not  limited to, economic opportunity for both
     9  areas;
    10    (b) the legal ramifications of separating New York into  two  separate
    11  states;
    12    (c) the general up-front cost associated with separating New York into
    13  two  separate states, exclusive of the long-term economic ramifications,
    14  including, but not limited to the cost of creating two new state govern-
    15  ments, the separation of the physical and organizational infrastructure,
    16  and the cost of settling land disputes;
    17    (d) the constitutional steps necessary to separate New York  into  two
    18  separate states; and
    19    (e)  any constitutional precedents in the United States for dividing a
    20  state into two separate states.
    21    § 2. The working group shall consist of the following:
    22    (a) the state comptroller and his or her designee;
    23    (b) one member appointed by the comptroller;
    24    (c) the attorney general and his or her designee;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08617-01-3
        A. 5760                             2

     1    (d) one member appointed by the attorney general;
     2    (e) two members appointed by the governor;
     3    (f) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
     4    (g) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
     5    (h) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
     6    (i) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
     7    (j)  two  members appointed by the New York State Association of Coun-
     8  ties;
     9    (k) two members appointed by the New York State Conference  of  Mayors
    10  and Municipal Officials; and
    11    (l)  two members appointed by the Association of Towns of the State of
    12  New York.
    13    § 3. At the conclusion of the study, the working group will deliver  a
    14  report of its findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the
    15  temporary  president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly,
    16  the minority leader of the senate and the comptroller. Such report shall
    17  be submitted no later than twelve months following the effective date of
    18  this act.
    19    § 4. The members and staff personnel of the  separate  states  working
    20  group shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible to receive
    21  reimbursement  for  their  reasonable,  actual  and  necessary expenses,
    22  provided however, members of the working group representing state  agen-
    23  cies  may  receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses
    24  from their respective agencies. Members of the separate  states  working
    25  group  shall  be considered state employees for the purposes of sections
    26  17 and 19 of the public officers law.
    27    § 5. For the purposes of this act, the comptroller  may  conduct  such
    28  study in conjunction with any other department, division, board, bureau,
    29  commission,  agency,  or  public  authority of the state he or she deems
    30  necessary. To the maximum extent  feasible,  the  comptroller  shall  be
    31  authorized  to  request, receive, and utilize such resources and data of
    32  any other department, division, board, bureau,  commission,  agency,  or
    33  public  authority  of  the  state as he or she may reasonably request to
    34  properly carry out his or her powers and duties pursuant to this act.
    35    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    36  deemed repealed two years after such date.