Senate Bill S3076

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 3076--A

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 10, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic  Devel-
  opment  and  Small  Business  --  committee  discharged, bill amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to authorizing
  regional offices not only to provide information on regional  economic
  development, but also provide assistance with regulatory compliance

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 231 of  the  economic  development
law, as amended by chapter 98 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as
follows:
  1. The department, through its regional offices, is authorized: (a) to
serve  as  a  center  for  information  regarding  economic  development
resources available from state,  federal  and  local  agencies;  (b)  to
provide outreach to businesses, with attention to SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED
BUSINESSES, INCLUDING minority and women-owned business enterprises, for
financial and technical assistance offered by state economic development
agencies,  AUTHORITIES,  OR  OTHER  ECONOMIC ENTITIES; (c) to serve as a
regional center to accept applications for  state  economic  development
programs; (d) to coordinate the economic development programs and activ-
ities  of  state  agencies and authorities within each region including,
but  not  limited  to,  outreach  to  businesses,  technical  assistance
services,  skills training assistance, sharing of information, strategic
economic development plans and  programs,  TO  PROVIDE  OR  ARRANGE  FOR
ASSISTANCE  IN  COMPLIANCE  WITH  FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL RULES, REGU-
LATIONS, PERMITS, AND LICENSES, and other measures to  enhance  regional
economic  development  and  eliminate  duplication  of  services; (e) to
provide or arrange for assistance to persons, firms, agencies,  partner-
ships or corporations, either public or private, in applying for assist-
ance  from state economic development programs OR FOR NECESSARY LICENSES

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04923-03-9
              

S. 3076--A                          2

AND PERMITS OR SEEKING TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL RULES AND
REGULATIONS; (f) to review  and  comment,  within  their  knowledge  and
expertise,  with  respect  to  applications for state assistance[,] in a
TIMELY manner and form prescribed by the commissioner; (g) to distribute
literature  and marketing material describing the facilities, advantages
and attractions of the region for  business;  (h)  to  provide  economic
development  information,  planning services and technical assistance to
counties and municipalities within the region; (i) to  provide  informa-
tion  and  assistance  in  the certification of minority and women-owned
business enterprises; (j)  to  provide  or  arrange  for  assistance  to
private  sector  employers,  whether  operating  for  profit  or not for
profit, and to organizations  and  associations  of  such  employers  in
developing  and  implementing  innovative  and flexible employee compen-
sation, assistance and benefit programs to enhance  competitiveness  and
meet  emerging  demographic  and  market  conditions; and (k) to provide
information and assistance to small businesses on environmental  compli-
ance  requirements  of  federal  and  state law and pollution prevention
opportunities in furtherance of policies  and  programs  established  in
article  twenty-eight of the environmental conservation law and in coor-
dination with the  pollution  prevention  and  environmental  compliance
coordinating council established in article twenty-eight of the environ-
mental  conservation law, including programs operated by the department,
the department of environmental conservation or  other  state  or  local
agencies  from  which  technical  assistance,  or loans, grants or other
financial assistance for compliance  and  pollution  prevention  may  be
obtained;  and  in providing such information and assistance, to promote
pollution prevention approaches.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.