Bill Text: NY S06271 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 6271 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Directs the council on the arts to establish criteria and guidelines for the establishment of state designated arts and cultural districts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-06-14 - referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development [S06271 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S06271-Introduced.html

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6271
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 6, 2016
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
         Parks and Recreation
       AN ACT to amend the arts and  cultural  affairs  law  and  the  economic
         development  law,  in  relation  to  creating  the  arts  and cultural
         district
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
    2  new section 3.17 to read as follows:
    3    S 3.17. ARTS AND CULTURAL  DISTRICT.  1.  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL  DEVELOP
    4  CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES FOR STATE DESIGNATED ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS
    5  AND  SHALL  DEVELOP  AN  APPLICATION PROCESS FOR RECEIVING SUCH A DESIG-
    6  NATION. A DISTRICT SHALL BE DEFINED AS A  GEOGRAPHIC  AREA  OF  A  CITY,
    7  TOWN,  OR  VILLAGE  WITH  A CONCENTRATION OF ARTS OR CULTURAL FACILITIES
    8  LOCATED WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES. CRITERIA  DEVELOPED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  TO
    9  DESIGNATE  A  DISTRICT  SHALL INCLUDE DETERMINATIONS THAT SUCH DISTRICT:
   10  (A) ATTRACTS ARTISTS OR  CULTURAL  ENTERPRISES  TO  THE  COMMUNITY,  (B)
   11  ENCOURAGES  BUSINESS  AND JOB DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THE PRE-EXISTING INSTI-
   12  TUTIONS, (C) ATTRACTS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TOURISM, (D) ENHANCES LOCAL
   13  PROPERTY VALUES AND FOSTERS LOCAL CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, OR (E)  HAS  THE
   14  POTENTIAL  TO  MEET  ANY OF THE CATEGORICAL DETERMINATIONS IF SUFFICIENT
   15  STATE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED TO THE PROPOSED  DISTRICT.  THE
   16  COUNCIL SHALL ALSO DEVELOP GUIDELINES THAT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO A CITY,
   17  TOWN,  OR  VILLAGE  IN  DEVELOPING  AN  APPLICATION FOR DISTRICT CERTIF-
   18  ICATION.
   19    2. FOR ANY STATE DESIGNATED ARTS AND CULTURAL  DISTRICT,  THE  COUNCIL
   20  AND  THE  URBAN  DEVELOPMENT  CORPORATION  SHALL PROVIDE STATE SUPPORTED
   21  ASSISTANCE TO THE DISTRICT IN ITS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT  LIMITED
   22  TO  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING FOR FEDERAL AND NON-PROFIT GRANTS,
   23  MARKETING EXPERTISE, IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER STATE  RESOURCES  THAT  MAY
   24  ASSIST  A  DISTRICT'S  ACTIVITIES  OR  PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE CREATED OR
   25  EXPANDED WITHIN STATE AGENCIES TO ASSIST DISTRICTS.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD13316-02-5
       S. 6271                             2
    1    3. FOR ANY GRANTS OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
    2  ARTICLE,  THE  COUNCIL SHALL PROVIDE THE MOST FAVORABLE TREATMENT ALLOW-
    3  ABLE TO AN APPLICANT LOCATED WITHIN A DESIGNATED DISTRICT.
    4    4.  TWO  OR MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MAY JOINTLY  APPLY FOR A DESIGNATED
    5  DISTRICT WHERE THE PROPOSED  GEOGRAPHIC  AREA  OF  SUCH  DISTRICT  SHALL
    6  EXTEND ACROSS COMMONLY HELD JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
    7    5.  THE COUNCIL MAY ACCEPT OR REJECT AN APPLICATION UNDER THIS SECTION
    8  AND MAY PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE APPLICATION  IN  LIEU  OF  ACCEPTANCE.
    9  APPLICANTS  SHALL  BE  PROVIDED  A  RESPONSE  WITHIN  NINETY DAYS OF THE
   10  RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION, AND ANY AMENDMENTS TO  SUCH  AN  APPLICATION
   11  SHALL BE RESPONDED TO WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIPT.
   12    S  2.  Paragraphs  4  and  5  of subdivision (e) of section 168 of the
   13  economic development law, are renumbered paragraphs 5 and 6  and  a  new
   14  paragraph 4 is added to read as follows:
   15    (4)  EVALUATE  AND  MAKE  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC TOURISM
   16  PROMOTION FOR ANY  STATE  DESIGNATED  ARTS  AND  CULTURAL  DISTRICT,  AS
   17  DEFINED IN SECTION 3.17 OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS LAW;
   18    S  3.  No later than three hundred sixty-five days after the effective
   19  date of this act, the council of the arts shall issue a  report  to  the
   20  temporary  president of the Senate, the speaker of the Assembly, and the
   21  chairs of the relevant legislative committees recommending  any  changes
   22  to  any provisions of law that would effectuate the purpose of this act,
   23  including but not limited to providing additional state  incentives  and
   24  benefits,  altering  the application process, promoting additional tour-
   25  ism, and any other measures that would aid the  operations  of  proposed
   26  and current arts and cultural districts.
   27    S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
   28  it shall have become a law.