Bill Text: NY S08483 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes the establishment of permanent COVID-19 memorials; establishes a COVID-19 permanent memorial fund.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-05 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S08483 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S08483-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8483 IN SENATE February 5, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to authorizing the establishment of permanent COVID-19 memorials and establishing a COVID-19 permanent memorial fund The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The state of New York and any municipality therein are 2 authorized to, in collaboration with municipal parks departments and 3 under the guidance of the office of parks, recreation, and historic 4 preservation, designate and establish a permanent COVID-19 memorial 5 within its jurisdiction. Municipalities seeking to establish and main- 6 tain such a memorial may apply for funding under section 99-rr of the 7 state finance law as well as from other public and private sources, 8 including but not limited to grants, donations, and partnerships. The 9 final designs and locations of such memorials shall be selected through 10 a community-driven process overseen by municipal parks departments, with 11 specific guidance from the office of parks, recreation, and historic 12 preservation, and with financial oversight from the comptroller's 13 office. The final designs and locations of such memorials shall prior- 14 itize input from those most impacted, including but not limited to fami- 15 ly members and loved ones of victims of COVID-19. 16 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-rr to 17 read as follows: 18 § 99-rr. COVID-19 permanent memorial fund. 1. There is hereby estab- 19 lished in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commission- 20 er of parks, recreation and historic preservation a fund to be known as 21 the "COVID-19 permanent memorial fund". 22 2. The fund shall consist of all moneys appropriated therefor, grants, 23 gifts or bequests received by the state for the purposes of the fund, 24 and all other moneys credited or transferred thereto from any other fund 25 or source. Moneys of such fund shall be expended only for the establish- 26 ment and maintenance of permanent COVID-19 memorials. Nothing in this 27 section shall prevent the state from soliciting and receiving grants, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14406-01-4S. 8483 2 1 gifts or bequests for the purposes of such fund and depositing them into 2 the fund according to law. 3 3. Moneys in such fund shall be kept separate from and shall not be 4 commingled with any other moneys in the custody of the comptroller or 5 the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation. Any 6 moneys of the fund not required for immediate use may, at the discretion 7 of the comptroller, in consultation with the director of the budget, be 8 invested by the comptroller in obligations of the United States or the 9 state, or in obligations the principal and interest on which are guaran- 10 teed by the United States or by the state. Any income earned by the 11 investment of such moneys shall be added to and become a part of, and 12 shall be used for the purposes of such fund. 13 4. Moneys from such fund shall be disbursed for the establishment and 14 maintenance of permanent COVID-19 memorials by way of a grant program 15 established by the comptroller in conjunction with the office of parks, 16 recreation and historic preservation. 17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
