STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6323
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
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Introduced by Sen. HAMILTON -- 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, in relation to the
Amistad Commission
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 4 of section 57.52 of the arts and
2 cultural affairs law, as added by chapter 404 of the laws of 2005, are
3 amended to read as follows:
4 1. The Amistad commission (commission), so named in honor of the group
5 of enslaved Africans led by Joseph Cinque who, while being transported
6 in eighteen hundred thirty-nine on a vessel named the Amistad, gained
7 their freedom after overthrowing the crew and eventually having their
8 case successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court, is
9 hereby created and established. The commission shall consist of nineteen
10 members, including the [secretary of state] commissioner of education or
11 his or her designee, the [commissioner of education] secretary of state
12 or his or her designee, and the chancellor of the state university of
13 New York or his or her designee, serving ex officio, and sixteen public
14 members. Public members shall be appointed as follows: four public
15 members, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party,
16 shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; four public
17 members, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party,
18 shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and eight public
19 members, no more than four of whom shall be of the same political party,
20 shall be appointed by the governor. The public members shall be resi-
21 dents of the state, chosen with due regard to broad geographic represen-
22 tation and ethnic diversity, who have an interest in the history of the
23 African slave trade and slavery in America and the contributions of
24 African-Americans to our society.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11725-01-7
S. 6323 2
1 4. The [secretary of state] commissioner of education, or his or her
2 designee, shall serve as the chair and the [commissioner of education]
3 secretary of state, or his or her designee, shall serve as the vice-
4 chair of the commission. The presence of a majority of the authorized
5 membership of the commission shall be required for the conduct of offi-
6 cial business.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.