Bill Text: NY A08111 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the empire state baseball trails program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-19 - substituted by s847 [A08111 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A08111-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8111
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
June 20, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to creating
the Empire State baseball trails 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 5-F to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 5-F
4 EMPIRE STATE BASEBALL TRAILS PROGRAM
5 SECTION 181-F. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
6 181-G. DEFINITIONS.
7 181-H. GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER.
8 S 181-F. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZES THAT PROFES-
9 SIONAL BASEBALL HAS HISTORICALLY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ECONOM-
10 IC AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE STATE. THE PUBLIC IS GENERALLY FAMILIAR WITH
11 THE TWO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS WITH THE BASE-
12 BALL HALL OF FAME IN COOPERSTOWN. THERE IS MUCH LESS PUBLIC AWARENESS
13 THAT NEW YORK STATE IS ALSO THE HOME OF THIRTEEN PROFESSIONAL MINOR
14 LEAGUE AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE TEAMS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE STATE. GREAT-
15 ER PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THESE TEAMS AND THEIR GAME SCHEDULES HAS THE
16 POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY ADD TO THE STATE'S TOURISM TRADE. THE MINOR
17 LEAGUE AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE TEAMS ARE SMALL BUSINESSES THEMSELVES, AND
18 COULD HELP TO DRAW IN-STATE AND OUT-OF-STATE TOURISTS TO THEIR RESPEC-
19 TIVE AREAS OF NEW YORK, THEREBY INCREASING HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND OTHER
20 TOURIST RELATED SMALL BUSINESSES. IT IS, THEREFORE, THE INTENT OF THIS
21 LEGISLATURE TO HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM WHICH WILL SYSTEMATICALLY PROMOTE
22 NEW YORK MINOR LEAGUE AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE BASEBALL AS A TOURIST
23 ATTRACTION, BY ESTABLISHING A BASEBALL TRAIL PROGRAM. IT IS THE FURTHER
24 INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT THESE TRAILS BE LINKED THEMATICALLY, AND
25 BE CONSTRUED SO AS TO BE EASILY TRAVELED BY TOURISTS AND BASEBALL FANS.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02840-01-3
A. 8111 2
1 THE LEGISLATURE SEEKS THE CREATION OF ITINERARIES TO AID TRAVELERS ALONG
2 BASEBALL TRAILS, WHICH ALSO LINK TOGETHER OTHER ATTRACTIONS AND VENUES
3 ALONG SAID TRAILS IN ORDER TO ATTRACT VISITORS WITH A SIMPLE AND EFFI-
4 CIENT TRAVEL PLAN. FURTHER IT IS THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATURE TO SEE
5 THAT THESE TRAILS ARE ADEQUATELY SIGNED SO THAT TRAVELERS MAY INDEPEND-
6 ENTLY FOLLOW THE TRAIL WITH EASE.
7 S 181-G. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING DEFI-
8 NITIONS SHALL APPLY:
9 1. "BASEBALL TRAIL" SHALL MEAN A SERIES OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
10 VENUES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WHICH MAY BE LINKED BY GEOGRAPHIC
11 PROXIMITY AND ALIGNMENT, AND GAME SCHEDULES.
12 2. "BASEBALL PASSPORT" SHALL MEAN A BOOKLET OR OTHER PUBLICATION,
13 WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO THE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL VENUES AND GAMES OR
14 SURROUNDING ATTRACTIONS ON A BASEBALL TRAIL, AND MAY INCLUDE DISCOUNTS
15 AND OTHER INCENTIVES RELATED TO ATTENDING BASEBALL GAMES AND VISITING
16 THE BASEBALL VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS ON THE BASEBALL TRAIL.
17 S 181-H. GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER. 1.
18 THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN "I LOVE NY BASEBALL"
19 PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSION-
20 ER OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ANY LOCAL GOVERN-
21 MENT OFFICIAL OR ENTITY, SHALL IDENTIFY A SERIES OF BASEBALL VENUES AND
22 GAMES TO BE PART OF A BASEBALL TRAIL. NO FEWER THAN TWO BASEBALL TRAILS
23 SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM. IN IDENTIFYING
24 SPECIFIC VENUES AND GAMES TO BE INCLUDED ON A BASEBALL TRAIL, SPECIAL
25 CONSIDERATION SHALL BE GIVEN TO THOSE TRAILS WHICH PROMOTE MINOR LEAGUE
26 AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE BASEBALL. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION SHALL ALSO BE
27 GIVEN TO TRAILS WHICH CAN BE LINKED TO SURROUNDING ARTS, CULTURAL,
28 HISTORICAL, ENTERTAINMENT OR OTHER TOURISM DESTINATIONS OR EXHIBITS OF
29 INTEREST TO TRAVELERS.
30 2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CAUSE TO BE DEVELOPED BASEBALL VACATION
31 ITINERARIES BASED ON SPECIFIC BASEBALL TRAILS, WHICH SHALL IDENTIFY FOR
32 VISITORS BASEBALL GAMES AND SURROUNDING ATTRACTIONS, RESTAURANTS, LODG-
33 ING AND OTHER EXHIBITS OR PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT AS MAY BE A PART OF
34 THE THEME LINKING THE BASEBALL VENUES ON THE BASEBALL TRAIL.
35 3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK TO DEVELOP DISCOUNT PACKAGES FOR SUCH
36 BASEBALL TRAILS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BASEBALL PASS-
37 PORT.
38 4. NOTHING SHALL PRECLUDE THE COMMISSIONER FROM CONTRACTING WITH AN
39 INDEPENDENT VACATION OR TRAVEL PACKAGE COMPANY TO HELP DEVELOP BASEBALL
40 VACATION PACKAGES ALONG A BASEBALL TRAIL.
41 S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
42 have become a law.
