Bill Text: NY S04884 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a gift for preserving religious landmarks option on state income tax returns; establishes the "preserving religious landmarks fund" into which all revenue from such gifts shall be deposited; monies shall be used to provide annual grants to religious organizations which occupy and use a historic, inner-city house of worship, for the preservation of such houses of worship.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-03 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS [S04884 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S04884-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4884 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 3, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. DIAZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern- ment Operations AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing a gift for preserving religious landmarks on personal income tax forms; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the preserving religious landmarks fund; and to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to establishing a grant program to preserve inner-city houses of worship The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 629-b to 2 read as follows: 3 § 629-b. Gift for preserving religious landmarks. Effective for any 4 tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand eighteen, an 5 individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the preserving 6 religious landmarks fund. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar 7 amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such indi- 8 vidual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax 9 return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding 10 any other provision of law, all revenue collected pursuant to this 11 section shall be credited to the preserving religious landmarks fund and 12 used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-five-i of the 13 state finance law. 14 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-i to 15 read as follows: 16 § 95-i. Preserving religious landmarks fund. 1. There is hereby estab- 17 lished in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance 18 and the state comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "preserving 19 religious landmarks fund". EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07232-01-7S. 4884 2 1 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to the 2 provisions of section six hundred twenty-nine-b of the tax law, all 3 revenues received pursuant to appropriations by the legislature, and all 4 moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund 5 or source pursuant to law. No moneys credited to such fund pursuant to 6 section six hundred twenty-nine-b of the tax law shall be deemed to 7 authorize the reduction of the amount of monies otherwise appropriated 8 to the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation. 9 3. The monies of the fund shall be made available to the office of 10 parks, recreation and historic preservation for the purpose of providing 11 grants to religious organizations for the preservation of inner-city 12 houses of worship used and occupied by such organizations pursuant to 13 section 14.11 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law. 14 4. The monies of the fund shall be paid out on the audit and warrant 15 of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the 16 commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation, or by an 17 officer or employee of the office of parks, recreation and historic 18 preservation designated by such commissioner. 19 § 3. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by 20 adding a new section 14.11 to read as follows: 21 § 14.11 Preservation of religious landmarks grants. The office shall 22 develop, establish and implement a program which provides annual grants 23 to religious organizations occupying and utilizing historic, inner-city 24 houses of worship, which are not included in the national register or 25 state register of historic places. Such grants shall be used to restore, 26 rehabilitate and preserve such houses of worship which serve as impor- 27 tant icons to the communities in which they are located. 28 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.