S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 899--A Cal. No. 655 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E (PREFILED) January 5, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance -- recommitted to the Committee on Finance in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the abandoned property law and the state technology law, in relation to unclaimed funds THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 1402 of the aban- 2 doned property law is relettered paragraph (c) and a new paragraph (b) 3 is added to read as follows: 4 (B) IN ADDITION TO THE LIST REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVI- 5 SION, EACH SEPTEMBER AND MARCH, THE STATE COMPTROLLER SHALL PUBLISH IN A 6 NEWSPAPER, AS PROVIDED BY SECTION ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TEN OF THIS 7 ARTICLE, A STATEMENT OF ABANDONED PROPERTY PAID TO AND HELD BY THE 8 STATE, FOR THE RESPECTIVE ANNUAL PERIODS JUNE FIRST, THROUGH NOVEMBER 9 THIRTIETH AND DECEMBER FIRST, THROUGH MAY THIRTY-FIRST. EACH AND EVERY 10 TIME THE COMPTROLLER PUBLISHES SUCH A STATEMENT, HE OR SHE SHALL INCLUDE 11 A NOTICE THAT READERS MAY OBTAIN A LARGE PRINT COPY OF THE UNCLAIMED 12 FUNDS LIST BY WRITING THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE OR HAVE A SEARCH 13 CONDUCTED FOR THEM BY CALLING A DESIGNATED NUMBER. THIS NOTICE MUST 14 APPEAR IN TYPEFACE AND FONT-SIZE ESTABLISHED BY THE NEW YORK STATE 15 OFFICE FOR TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND INCLUDE THE 16 PHONE NUMBER AND MAILING ADDRESS TO THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF THE 17 STATE COMPTROLLER, OFFICE OF UNCLAIMED FUNDS. 18 S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 1416 of the abandoned property law, as 19 added by chapter 173 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00678-02-2 S. 899--A 2 1 1. No agreement to locate property held by the comptroller pursuant to 2 this chapter shall be valid unless that agreement: 3 (a) is in writing and signed by the property owner; 4 (b) discloses the nature of the property; [and] 5 (c) discloses the name and address of the holder; AND 6 (D) INCLUDES LANGUAGE, ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE COMPTROLLER, STATING 7 THAT THE FUNDS HELD BY THE STATE CAN BE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM THE 8 OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER BY ITS OWNER WITHOUT PAYING A FEE AND THAT 9 THESE FUNDS WILL BE HELD INDEFINITELY. 10 S 3. Section 103 of the state technology law is amended by adding a 11 new subdivision 18 to read as follows: 12 18. TO CONSULT WITH THE COMMISSION ON THE BLIND AND VISUALLY HAND- 13 ICAPPED TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR TYPEFACE AND 14 FONT SIZE TO ASSIST THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. 15 S 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 16 have become a law.