S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7796
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     May 27, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Small Business
       AN  ACT  to  amend the economic development law, in relation to creating
         the micro business outreach center assistance program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  economic  development law is amended by adding a new
    2  article 9-B to read as follows:
    3                                  ARTICLE 9-B
    4              MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
    5  SECTION 216. DEFINITIONS.
    6          217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
    7          218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK.
    8          219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
    9    S 216. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THIS  ARTICLE  THE  FOLLOWING
   10  TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   11    1.  "MICRO  BUSINESS" SHALL MEAN A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP, PARTNERSHIP OR
   12  FAMILY BUSINESS THAT HAS FEWER THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES.
   13    2. "MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS" SHALL MEAN  A  BUSINESS  OUTREACH
   14  CENTER  THAT  SERVES THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF SPECIFIC COMMUNI-
   15  TIES.
   16    3. "MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK" SHALL MEAN  A  NETWORK  OF
   17  BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS THAT PROVIDES SERVICES THROUGHOUT A REGION AND
   18  HELPS  DEVELOP  AND  ASSIST  INDIVIDUAL  MICRO-ENTERPRISE/SMALL BUSINESS
   19  DEVELOPMENT  ORGANIZATIONS  IN  THE  DELIVERY  OF  CUSTOMIZED   BUSINESS
   20  SERVICES  TO  ENTREPRENEURS,  AS  WELL  AS CAPACITY-BUILDING SERVICES TO
   21  ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING COMMUNITY AND  MICRO-ENTERPRISE
   22  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
   23    S 217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED
   24  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT  A  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTER ASSISTANCE
   25  PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED,  TO
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02739-01-5
       A. 7796                             2
    1  PROVIDE  DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS
    2  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
    3  ACTIVITIES:
    4    (A)  TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN SETTING UP, OR TO
    5  ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING  LOCAL  SPONSOR  ORGANIZATIONS  AND/OR  NEW
    6  ORGANIZATIONS  TO  SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS, IN
    7  GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM EACH  OTHER
    8  BUT  ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
    9  SUCH CENTER;
   10    (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN PROVIDING AID  FOR
   11  THE  OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
   12  CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE  OF  ITS
   13  PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; AND
   14    (C)  TO  ASSIST  THE  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTER  TO EXPAND THE
   15  CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  ACTIVITIES
   16  AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
   17    2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
   18  ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS  OUTREACH
   19  CENTERS  NETWORK.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
   20  AND DESIGNATION OF SUCH MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTERS  WHICH  SHALL
   21  INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   22    (A)  COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
   23  THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
   24    (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK  OF  CLIENT  INFORMATION  SYSTEMS,  REGIONAL
   25  LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
   26    (C)  A  MODEL  THAT  MAXIMIZES  THE  EFFICIENT  USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
   27  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES,  ADDRESSES  THE  RECOGNIZED  NEED  FOR
   28  PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
   29    (D)  FACILITATING  ACCESS  TO  THE  COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
   30  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
   31  NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
   32    3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS  WILL  ENABLE  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
   33  PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
   34  SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH  THE  SAME,  THE
   35  COMMISSIONER  MAY  REQUEST  THE  ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
   36  CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
   37    S 218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER  NETWORK.  1.  THERE  IS  HEREBY
   38  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT  A  MICRO  BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER
   39  NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED  WITHIN  AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED  TO
   40  PROVIDE  DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS
   41  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
   42  ACTIVITIES:
   43    (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER  NETWORK  IN  SETTING
   44  UP,  OR  TO  ASSIST  THE  CENTER  IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS
   45  AND/OR NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH
   46  CENTERS, IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM
   47  EACH OTHER BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTAB-
   48  LISHMENT OF SUCH CENTER;
   49    (B)  TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN PROVIDING
   50  AID FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL  MICRO  BUSINESS
   51  OUTREACH CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
   52  OF  ITS  PRESENTLY  EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS;
   53  AND
   54    (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK TO EXPAND THE
   55  CENTER'S  COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
   56  AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
       A. 7796                             3
    1    2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE  MONIES,  WITHIN  AVAILABLE  APPROPRI-
    2  ATIONS,  IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
    3  CENTERS NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA  FOR  SELECTION
    4  AND  DESTINATION  OF  SUCH  MICRO  BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS WHICH SHALL
    5  INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
    6    (A)  COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
    7  THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
    8    (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK  OF  CLIENT  INFORMATION  SYSTEMS,  REGIONAL
    9  LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
   10    (C)  A  MODEL  THAT  MAXIMIZES  THE  EFFICIENT  USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
   11  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES,  ADDRESSES  THE  RECOGNIZED  NEED  FOR
   12  PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
   13    (D)  FACILITATING  ACCESS  TO  THE  COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
   14  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
   15  NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
   16    3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS  WILL  ENABLE  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
   17  PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
   18  SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH  THE  SAME,  THE
   19  COMMISSIONER  MAY  REQUEST  THE  ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
   20  CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
   21    S 219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MONITOR THE  EFFEC-
   22  TIVENESS OF THE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IT PROVIDES TO
   23  THE  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED, IN ORDER TO
   24  DETERMINE AND REPORT TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOALS SPECIFIED IN THIS  SECTION
   25  HAVE  BEEN  ACHIEVED.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  MAKE AND FILE AN ANNUAL
   26  REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF
   27  THE ASSEMBLY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS  FOLLOWING  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  STATE'S
   28  FISCAL  YEAR  CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MONITORING PURSUANT TO THIS
   29  SECTION. SUCH ANNUAL REPORT SHALL CONTAIN  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  FURTHER
   30  LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE IF IN THE JUDGMENT
   31  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER NEW LEGISLATION TO FURTHER EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES
   32  OF THIS ARTICLE IS WARRANTED.
   33    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   34  it shall have become a law.