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

                                  1980

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 14, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. MORELLE, CYMBROWITZ, SWEENEY -- Multi-Sponsored
  by -- M. of A.  CARROZZA, WEINSTEIN -- read once and referred  to  the
  Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry

AN  ACT  to  amend the economic development law, in relation to creating
  the business outreach center network assistance program

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

  Section  1.  The  economic  development law is amended by adding a new
article 9-B to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 9-B
        BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
SECTION 216. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND OBJECTIVES.
        217. BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
        218. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
  S 216. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND OBJECTIVES. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO SUPPORTING  SMALL  BUSINESS  DEVELOPMENT,  THE
"BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTER  (BOC)  NETWORK", IS ONE OF A DOZEN NATIONAL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODELS THAT HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE "WORTHY  OF  STUDY
AND  REPLICATION".  ACCORDINGLY,  THE LEGISLATURE DECLARES ITS INTENT TO
PROMOTE THE SUCCESS AND EXPANSION OF SMALL BUSINESS IN THE STATE AND THE
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE'S ECONOMY AS  A  PUBLIC  PURPOSE  BY
FOSTERING  THE  CREATION  AND  OPERATION OF ADDITIONAL BUSINESS OUTREACH
CENTERS AND INCREASING STATE ASSISTANCE TO THE BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS
(BOC) NETWORK, INCORPORATED,  A  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPORATION  PERFORMING
VITAL AND WORTHY STATE AND PUBLIC PURPOSES.
  S 217. BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITH-
IN  THE  DEPARTMENT  A BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED,  TO
PROVIDE  DIRECT  TECHNICAL  AND  FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  TO  THE BUSINESS
OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK,  INCORPORATED,  A  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPO-
RATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04120-01-9
              

A. 1980                             2

  (A)  TO  ASSIST  THE BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK IN SETTING
UP, OR TO ASSIST THE  CENTER  IN  HELPING  LOCAL  SPONSOR  ORGANIZATIONS
AND/OR NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS,
IN  GEOGRAPHIC  AREAS  OF  THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM EACH
OTHER  BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF SUCH CENTER;
  (B) TO ASSIST THE BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK IN  PROVIDING
AID  FOR  THE  OPERATION  AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  THE  ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
OUTREACH CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
OF ITS PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; AND
  (C) TO ASSIST THE BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK TO EXPAND THE
CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  ACTIVITIES
AMONG ALL BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
  2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO  A  COMMUNITY  NEED  FOR  THE  BUSINESS  OUTREACH
CENTERS  NETWORK.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
AND DESIGNATION OF SUCH BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
  (A)  COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
  (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK  OF  CLIENT  INFORMATION  SYSTEMS,  REGIONAL
LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
  (C)  A  MODEL  THAT  MAXIMIZES  THE  EFFICIENT  USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES,  ADDRESSES  THE  RECOGNIZED  NEED  FOR
PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
  (D)  FACILITATING  ACCESS  TO  THE  COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
  3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS  WILL  ENABLE  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH  THE  SAME,  THE
COMMISSIONER  MAY  REQUEST  THE  ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO  HUNDRED  SIXTEEN  OF
THIS ARTICLE.
  S  218. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MONITOR THE EFFEC-
TIVENESS OF THE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IT PROVIDES TO
THE BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER (BOC) NETWORK, INCORPORATED,  IN  ORDER  TO
DETERMINE  AND REPORT TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOALS SPECIFIED IN THIS SECTION
HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  MAKE  AND  FILE  AN  ANNUAL
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF
THE  ASSEMBLY  WITHIN  THIRTY  DAYS  FOLLOWING  THE CLOSE OF THE STATE'S
FISCAL YEAR CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MONITORING PURSUANT  TO  THIS
SECTION.  SUCH  ANNUAL  REPORT SHALL CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER
LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE IF IN THE JUDGMENT
OF THE COMMISSIONER NEW LEGISLATION TO FURTHER EFFECTUATE  THE  PURPOSES
OF THIS ARTICLE IS WARRANTED.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.