Assembly Bill A9728

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Creates a temporary commission to review and report on the usefulness of state authorities

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 20, 2010	referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Assembly Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:: Public Authorities

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a temporary commission to review and report on the usefulness of state authorities to develop and propose legislation recommending which authorities shall remain and which authorities shall be consolidated or dissolved.

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:A9728

TITLE  OF  BILL:    An  act  to create a temporary state commission to
review and report on the  usefulness  of  the  state  authorities  and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

PURPOSE  OR  GENERAL  IDEA OF BILL:  Forming a temporary commission to
gain a definitive understanding of the existence, nature, purpose, and
cost of every individual New York Public Authority.  Then  to  utilize
this  information  in determining whether to dissolve, consolidate, or
diminish any given authority with the best interests of New York State
residents and taxpayers in mind.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:  Section 1:   Establishes a  temporary
commission  to  review  the purpose, nature, and functionality of each
individual  public  authority  in  New  York  State,  and  report  its
findings.

Section  2:    Provides  for  nine  members  of  the commission. Three
appointed by the Governor. Two appointed by the Temporary President of
the Senate.  Two  appointed  by  the  Speaker  of  the  Assembly.  One
appointed  by  the Minority Leader of the Senate. One appointed by the
Minority Leader of the Assembly. The Chairman shall be appointed  from
muting the Governor's appointees.

Section   3:      Provides   that  the  commission  shall  receive  no

compensation, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
in performance of their duties.

Section 4:   The powers of  the  commission  include  the  ability  to
request and receive and to utilize all necessary data and resources to
carry-out its duties.

Section  5:    The  commission  is  empowered  to subpoena and enforce
witness under oath and to perform any  other  functions  necessary  to
perform its duties and responsibilities.

Section 6:  The commission shall submit its report and recommendations
to  the  Governor  and the Legislature no later than December 1, 2011,
with a mandatory interim report on May 15th, 2011.

Section 7:  The commission shall submit a report for  each  individual
public  authority,  and recommendations may include but not be limited
to; leaving an authority as is, dissolving an authority, consolidation
of authorities or transfer of powers and duties to  appropriate  state
agencies.

Section  8:    The commissions report shall include but not be limited
to; how many authorities actively exists, their named  and  locations,
number   of   employees   and   their   salaries,   operating  budget,
expenditures, debts and assets, and extent of oversight.

Section 10: Effective Date.

JUSTIFICATION:  New York's public authority structure and the entities
that operate within it have been termed by some, as New York's "shadow
government". Large and complex  taxpayer  funded  authorities  operate


with  poorly  defined  or  obsolete  intentions,  veiled  budgets  and
finances, and with only token accountability to the  legislature  that
created  them  or the taxpayers they burden. There is little agreement
to  even  how  many  authorities  are  currently active, or where they
maintain offices.

Too many times the hardworking families of New York are  subjected  to
watching  their  tax-dollars  go  to  the  bailout of the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, or are forced to pay  higher  tolls  on  the
Thruway  and increased bus fare on the Niagara Frontier Transportation
Authority with out having any idea why, or having  any  mechanism  for
which to inquire.

This  legislation  will  lift  the  veil off this "shadow government".
Reveal what purpose each authority serves, what  that  costs,  who  is
charged   with   its  administration,  if  that  purpose  can  not  be
accomplished   through   more   a   more   efficient,   cost-effective
organizational  model, and ultimately, significantly reduce the number
and nature of the hundreds  of  state  authorities,  while  increasing
financial oversight for the ones deemed vital and necessary.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This Act shall take effect immediately.

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  9728

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 20, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. QUINN -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

AN ACT to create a temporary state commission to review  and  report  on
  the  usefulness  of the state authorities and providing for the repeal
  of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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

  Section  1.  A temporary state commission created to review and report
on the usefulness of all state authorities, as defined in subdivision  1
of  section  2 of the public authorities law, hereinafter referred to as
the commission, is hereby created to  develop  and  propose  legislation
recommending  which  state  authorities  shall  remain  and  which state
authorities shall be dissolved and/or consolidated, and the  appropriate
state  and  local agencies or offices to assume the various responsibil-
ities and obligations of such authorities.
  S 2. The commission shall consist of nine members to be  appointed  as
follows:  three  members to be appointed by the governor; two members to
be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two members to be
appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member to be appointed  by
the minority leader of the senate; and one to be appointed by the minor-
ity  leader  of  the  assembly.    A  chair  of  the commission shall be
appointed by the governor from among his appointees. Vacancies shall  be
filled in the same manner as the original appointments.
  S  3.  The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
  S 4. To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall be  entitled
to  request  and  receive  and  shall  utilize and be provided with such
facilities, resources, and data  of  any  department,  division,  board,
bureau,  commission, or agency of the state or any political subdivision
thereof as it deems necessary or desirable to  carry  out  properly  its
powers and duties hereunder.
  S  5.  The  commission is hereby empowered to subpoena and enforce the
attendance of witnesses, to administer oaths or affirmations and examine

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

                                                           LBD14863-02-0

A. 9728                             2

witnesses under oath, to require the production of any books, records or
papers deemed relevant or material, and to perform any  other  functions
that are necessary or appropriate to fulfill its duties and responsibil-
ities,  and  the  governor shall give and grant to the commissioners all
powers and authority that may be given or granted to  persons  appointed
by  the governor for such purpose pursuant to section 6 of the executive
law.
  S 6. The commission shall issue a final report no later than  December
1,  2011,  setting  forth  its  findings and conclusions and making such
recommendations as it shall deem necessary and proper. In addition,  the
commission  shall issue such interim reports as it shall deem necessary,
including an interim report no later than May 15, 2011.
  S 7. The commission shall submit its  report  and  recommendation  for
each state authority. Such recommendation may include, but not be limit-
ed  to  leaving  an authority in its current form, the dissolution of an
authority, consolidation of similar authorities,  and  the  transfer  of
responsibilities and obligations to state agencies.
  S  8.  The commission's report shall include, but shall not be limited
to:
  1. the number of state authorities which are currently in existence;
  2. the name and location of each state authority;
  3. the number of employees, and the salary of each person employed  by
a state authority;
  4. the operating budget of each state authority;
  5. the expenditures of each state authority;
  6. the debts and assets of each state authority; and
  7.  the extent to which there is oversight and accountability for each
state authority.
  S 9.   This act shall  take  effect  immediately,  provided  that  the
members  of the commission created by this act shall be appointed within
thirty days of such date; and provided, further,  that  this  act  shall
remain  in  effect  until  one  hundred twenty days after the commission
submits the report required by section six of this act,  at  which  time
this act shall expire and be deemed repealed.

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Assembly Bill A9728

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Actions

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

QUINN

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Actions

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-A9728 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments