NY State Senate Bill 2009-S4425

Senate Bill S4425

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Restricts industrial development agency financing of industrial and commercial projects unless located at brownfield sites

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government 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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to local government
Apr 23, 2009	referred to local government

2009-S4425 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9100
Current Committee:: Senate Local Government
Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§692, 859-a & 854, add §§696-e & 859-c, Gen Muni L

2009-S4425 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Restricts industrial development agency financing of industrial and commercial projects to areas in or near where there has been prior industrial or commercial development, also known as "brownfields"; grants economic development zone equivalent area treatment to projects in such brownfields when financed by industrial development agencies or urban development agencies; defines "class one brownfield site", "class two brownfield site" and the projects relating thereto.

2009-S4425 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4425

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to placing
certain restrictions on industrial development agencies providing
financial assistance to various industrial and commercial projects
unless located on or near property currently or previously used for
industrial or commercial development, and providing for additional
financial incentives through the industrial development agencies and
urban renewal or development agencies to assist such projects


 PURPOSE :
To assist in the preservation of greenfields and the development of
brownfields located within the state of New York by requiring an IDA
to give preferential treatment for financial assistance to industrial
commercial projects which will be developed on brownfields or
abandoned industrial commercial sites and making such sites so
developed eligible for some or all of the economic incentives
conferred on economic development zone equivalent areas and requiring
IDA's to explain why they are financing projects not in such areas and
permitting the New York Bond Advisory Council and the commissioner of
Economic Development to take into consideration when allotting to the
IDA's their bonding capacity, their efforts in promoting the state
policy of preserving greenfields and developing brownfields.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill sets out the legislative finding that from both
an environmental protection view and an economic development view, it
is in the interest of the people of the state to have a state wide
policy to protect and safeguard the farmlands and greenfields of the
state and to revitalize and reuse class 1 and class 2 brownfields
sites as much as possible for the location and relocation of
industrial and commercial facilities within the state and that the
state must direct its developmental incentives including the mission
of IDA's to foster that policy.

Section 2 amends subdivision 5 and 6 of §692 of the General Municipal
Law, with reference to providing that a class 1 brownfield site within
a municipality is itself an urban development action area and that a
class 1 brownfield project in such municipality is itself an urban
development action area project.

Section 3 defines an urban development action area class 1 brownfield
site as any site on, within, at, or adjacent to abandoned, vacated,
idle or under used industrial or commercial facilities where use,
reuse, improvement, expansion development or redevelopment is
complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination including
sites investigated or remediated or both pursuant to §27-1313 or title
5 of article 56 of the Environmental Conservation Law of New York
State or title 42, Chapter 103 of the U.S. Code. It also defines an
urban development action area class 1 brownfield project as a project
located on such a site within or partly with and partly without the
municipality for industrial or commercial purposes where such activity
will help to retain or create employment opportunities within the
municipality.

Section 4 of the bill adds a new §696-e to the General Municipal Law,
relating to financial assistance to urban development action area
brownfield projects in which it permits an urban development action
class 1 brownfield project to be entitled to all the benefits set
forth in §966 of the General Municipal Law, in the case of economic
development zone equivalent areas.

Section 5 of the bill amends §854 of the General Municipal Law, by
defining class 1 Brownfield sites as stated above and class 2
brownfield sites as such sites that are class 1 brownfields sites
except where there is no actual or perceived contamination and class 1
brownfield project meaning any industrial or commercial project on
class 2 brownfield sites.

Section 6 of the bill amends §859-a of the General Municipal Law, by
adding a new subdivision 1-a requiring that if a project assisted by
and IDA is not an enhancement or enlargement on an existing project
and is not located in either class 1 or class 2 brownfield site, then
the agency must set out in its resolution adopted pursuant to
subdivision 1 of §859-a of the General Municipal Law, the reasons why
the project was not located on such a site and the cost to the
community, if any, of infrastructure addition, repair or replacement
by reason of the location of the project.

Section 7 of the bill amends the General Municipal Law, by adding a
new §859-c to such law which section gives class 1 brownfield projects
first priority and class 2 brownfields projects second priority over
and above all other projects as to service of applications and for
funding available from an agency in any fiscal year and allows the
projects to receive financial assistance which deviates a more
favorable way for the applicant of such projects than is consistent
with the uniform tax exemption policy of the agency. It also provides
that a class 1 brownfield project shall be entitled to all the
benefits set forth in §966 of the General Municipal Law, in the case
of economic development zone equivalent areas and that class 2
brownfields projects shall be entitled to 1/3 of such benefits.

The section also requires that in the annual report the IDA must file
pursuant to §859 of the General Municipal Law, that the agency must
file a detailed report of its activities to help fund and assist class
1 or class 2 brownfield sites. The section further requires the
commissioner of the Department of Economic Development to include the
report of these activities he will submit pursuant to §859 of the
General Municipal Law. The section further requires that such
information be forwarded to the New York State Bond Allocation Policy
Advisory Panel which along with the commissioner of Economic
Development may take into account in making a decision on bond
allocation.

 JUSTIFICATION :
The redevelopment of brownfields is one of the greatest needs for the
municipalities of this state and country and must be encouraged on the
federal, state and local levels of government. At a time when the tax
base of many communities is swiftly eroding and the state is being
called upon to provide more and more aid to support the municipal and
educational needs of those communities and when not only social
justice, but federal welfare reform requires the state and local
governments to assist in finding more employment opportunities for the
unemployed, the need for those opportunities to be located close to
where the majority of unemployed persons reside is also a matter of
great state concern. Likewise, the proliferation, expansion and
intrusion of commercial and industrial projects into the greenfields
of the state brings about a diminution of our farm lands and creates
additional environmental problems for the community at hand and the
state at large, is a matter of great state concern, and should be
discouraged.

IDA's and urban development agencies are creatures of state law
designed to carry out state policy assisting in developing the economy
of the jurisdiction of their location and overall economy of the
state. Because of their mission they are generally in the forefront of
industrial and commercial development in their respective
jurisdiction. We should utilize these authorities to assist the state
in carrying out state policy in the redevelopment of brownfields and
the protection of greenfields. This bill will accomplish that mission.
In addition, both IDA's and the urban renewal agencies must be given
more incentives to assist them in the development in these areas of
the brownfield projects. We have already had experience with the
economic development zone equivalent area incentives and it seems it
would be expeditious and efficient to merely give those various
incentives to the developers of those sites on a project by project
basis without the need of creating other zone mechanisms.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2009-S4425 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  4425

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 23, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  O. JOHNSON  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government

AN ACT to amend the  general  municipal  law,  in  relation  to  placing
  certain  restrictions  on  industrial  development  agencies providing
  financial assistance to various  industrial  and  commercial  projects
  unless  located  on  or near property currently or previously used for
  industrial or commercial development,  and  providing  for  additional
  financial  incentives  through the industrial development agencies and
  urban renewal or development agencies to assist such projects

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

  Section  1.  Legislative findings. The legislature finds that farmland
and other greenfields within the state are being encroached upon  at  an
ever alarming rate and that a significant amount of such encroachment is
caused by the construction, development and operation upon such lands of
commercial  and industrial facilities, and that such encroachment has or
may have an adverse effect upon the environment,  quality  of  life  and
land  values  within such communities, as well as creating severe fiscal
problems to pay for the expanded infrastructure within the  communities,
where such facilities are located.
  The  legislature  further  finds  that where such facilities have been
relocated within the state, from  brownfields  to  such  greenfields  or
farmlands, that such relocation often leads to severe fiscal problems in
those communities from which such facilities have been relocated includ-
ing  loss  of  tax revenue and employment opportunities in such communi-
ties.
  The legislature further finds that the  use  or  reuse  of  abandoned,
vacated,  idled  or  under used industrial and commercial facility sites
(hereafter referred to in this section as "class  2  brownfield  sites")
and  especially such of those sites where expansion, use, reuse or rede-
velopment is complicated by  real  or  perceived  environmental  contam-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10955-01-9

S. 4425                             2

ination  (hereafter  referred  to in this section as "class 1 brownfield
sites"), enhances the tax base of the communities where such  facilities
and  sites  are  located,  increases  employment  opportunities in those
communities which are often depressed, enhances the use of the utilities
already  existent  in  those  communities and reduces the transportation
burden on the entire community while preserving the land values, quality
of life and environment in the farmlands and greenfields  areas  of  the
state  and  that  therefore  such  class  1 and class 2 brownfield sites
should be preferred, in that order, as sites for industrial and  commer-
cial development over farmlands and greenfield sites.
  The legislature further finds that the environmental, fiscal and qual-
ity  of  life  concerns  of  local communities raised by the location or
relocation of industrial and commercial facilities within the state,  of
necessity,  impact  upon  the  entire state, and the state's policy with
regard to the entire state's environment and  economic  development  and
therefore are matters of state concern.
  The  legislature  determines, therefore, that it is in the interest of
all the people of the state to have a statewide policy  to  protect  and
safeguard  the  farmlands and greenfields of the state and to revitalize
and reuse class 1 and class 2 brownfield sites as much as  possible  for
the location or relocation of industrial and commercial facilities with-
in the state.
  The  legislature recognizes that in order to encourage the revitaliza-
tion of the brownfield sites and to  preserve  greenfield  sites  it  is
necessary  to  create new developmental incentives and redirect existing
developmental incentives for  such  purposes  and  that  the  industrial
development agencies having been created by state legislation to provide
incentives  for  industrial and commercial development, must be directed
to use those developmental incentives with which they are empowered,  as
instrumentalities  of  state policy, to encourage the revitalization use
and reuse of both class 1 and class 2 brownfield sites and to discourage
the use of greenfield sites for such development.
  The legislature also recognizes  that  urban  renewal  or  development
agencies must also be granted the power to provide additional incentives
to  encourage the use and reuse and revitalization of class 1 brownfield
sites within their jurisdictions and  that  certain  incentives  already
granted  for  empire  zones  should be extended to such agencies and the
industrial development agencies on a project by project  basis  for  the
use  and  reuse  and  revitalization  of  class 1 and class 2 brownfield
sites.
  The legislature, therefore, accordingly enacts this act.
  S 2. Subdivisions 5 and 6 of section 692 of the general municipal law,
subdivision 5 as amended by chapter 437 of the laws of 2000 and subdivi-
sion 6 as amended by chapter 486 of the laws of  1982,  are  amended  to
read as follows:
  5.  "Urban development action area".  [An] A CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD SITE
LOCATED WITHIN A MUNICIPALITY OR AN area  designated  by  the  governing
body,  or  by the commission where so authorized to act by the governing
body, pursuant to section six hundred ninety-three of  this  article  as
appropriate  for  urban  development,  at  least  sixty percent of which
constitutes an eligible area.
  6. "Urban development action area project".  A  CLASS  ONE  BROWNFIELD
PROJECT  OR  A  project  which  shall  be consistent with the policy and
purposes stated in section six hundred ninety-one of this  article,  and
located in an urban development action area, unless the area designation
requirement  is  waived  pursuant to section six hundred ninety-three of

S. 4425                             3

this article. The project summary for an urban development  action  area
project  shall  include  but  shall  not  be  limited to: a statement of
proposed land uses; proposed public, semi-public, private  or  community
facilities  or utilities; a statement as to proposed new codes and ordi-
nances and amendments to existing codes and ordinances as  are  required
or necessary to effectuate the project; a proposed time schedule for the
effectuation of such project, and such additional statements or documen-
tation as the agency may deem appropriate.
  S 3. Section 692 of the general municipal law is amended by adding two
new subdivisions 8 and 9 to read as follows:
  8.  "URBAN  DEVELOPMENT  ACTION  AREA CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD SITE".  ANY
SITE ON, WITHIN, AT OR ADJACENT TO ABANDONED, VACATED,  IDLED  OR  UNDER
USED  INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL FACILITIES WHERE USE, REUSE, IMPROVEMENT,
EXPANSION, DEVELOPMENT  OR  REDEVELOPMENT  IS  COMPLICATED  BY  REAL  OR
PERCEIVED  ENVIRONMENTAL  CONTAMINATION  INCLUDING SITES INVESTIGATED OR
REMEDIATED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  27-1313  OR  TITLE  FIVE  OF  ARTICLE
FIFTY-SIX  OF  THE  ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW, OR TITLE 42, CHAPTER
103 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE.
  9. "URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION AREA CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD  PROJECT".    A
PROJECT  THAT  INVOLVES THE USE, REUSE, EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT, DEVELOP-
MENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OF A CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD SITE WITHIN THE  MUNICI-
PALITY  OR  PARTLY WITHIN AND PARTLY WITHOUT THE MUNICIPALITY FOR INDUS-
TRIAL OR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WHERE SUCH ACTIVITY WILL HELP TO RETAIN  OR
CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY.
  S  4.  The  general  municipal  law is amended by adding a new section
696-e to read as follows:
  S 696-E. SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO  URBAN
DEVELOPMENT  ACTION AREA CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECTS.  NOTWITHSTANDING
ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE GOVERNING BODY OR  COMMISSION,
WHERE  SO AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNING BODY, MAY, BY RESOLUTION, ELECT TO
MAKE AN URBAN DEVELOPMENT  ACTION  AREA  CLASS  ONE  BROWNFIELD  PROJECT
ELIGIBLE  FOR ALL BENEFITS GRANTED AN EMPIRE ZONE EQUIVALENT AREA PURSU-
ANT TO SECTION  NINE  HUNDRED  SIXTY-SIX  OF  THIS  CHAPTER.  UPON  SUCH
ELECTION  AND  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF SUCH SECTION, AN URBAN DEVELOPMENT
ACTION AREA CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE AN EMPIRE
ZONE EQUIVALENT AREA.
  S 5. Section 854 of the general municipal law  is  amended  by  adding
four new subdivisions 4-a, 4-b, 4-c and 4-d to read as follows:
  (4-A) "CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD SITE" - SHALL MEAN ANY SITE ON, WITHIN, AT
OR  ADJACENT  TO  ABANDONED, VACATED, IDLED, OR UNDER USED INDUSTRIAL OR
COMMERCIAL FACILITIES WHERE USE, REUSE, EXPANSION, DEVELOPMENT OR  REDE-
VELOPMENT  IS  COMPLICATED  BY  REAL  OR PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAM-
INATION INCLUDING SITES INVESTIGATED OR REMEDIATED PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
27-1313  OR TITLE FIVE OF ARTICLE FIFTY-SIX OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSER-
VATION LAW, OR CHAPTER 103 OF TITLE 42 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE.
  (4-B) "CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD SITE" - SHALL MEAN ANY SITE ON, WITHIN  OR
AT,  ABANDONED,  VACATED,  IDLED  OR UNDER USED INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL
FACILITIES BUT WHERE THE USE, REUSE, EXPANSION, DEVELOPMENT OR  REDEVEL-
OPMENT  IS  NOT  COMPLICATED  BY REAL OR PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAM-
INATION.
  (4-C) "CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECT" - SHALL MEAN  ANY  INDUSTRIAL  OR
COMMERCIAL PROJECT ON A CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD SITE.
  (4-D)  "CLASS  TWO  BROWNFIELD PROJECT" - SHALL MEAN ANY INDUSTRIAL OR
COMMERCIAL PROJECT ON A CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD SITE.
  S 6. Section 859-a of the general municipal law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:

S. 4425                             4

  1-A. IF THE PROJECT TO BE ASSISTED BY THE AGENCY IS NOT AN ENHANCEMENT
OR ENLARGEMENT OF AN EXISTING PROJECT AND IS NOT  LOCATED  IN  EITHER  A
CLASS  ONE OR CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD SITE, THE AGENCY SHALL SET OUT IN THE
RESOLUTION ADOPTED PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS  SECTION  THE
REASONS  WHY  THE PROJECT WAS NOT LOCATED ON SUCH A SITE AND THE COST TO
THE COMMUNITY, IF ANY, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ADDITION, REPAIR  OR  REPLACE-
MENT BY REASON OF THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT.
  S  7.  The  general  municipal  law is amended by adding a new section
859-c to read as follows:
  S 859-C. SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO  CLASS
ONE  AND CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD PROJECTS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF
LAW TO THE CONTRARY:
  1. A CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECT SHALL  HAVE  FIRST  PRIORITY  AND  A
CLASS  TWO  BROWNFIELD PROJECT SHALL HAVE SECOND PRIORITY OVER AND ABOVE
ALL OTHER PROJECTS IN THE SERVICING OF APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING  AND  TO
ANY  FUNDING  AVAILABLE  FROM  THE  AGENCY  IN ANY FISCAL YEAR, AND SUCH
PROJECTS MAY RECEIVE FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  WHICH  DEVIATES  IN  A  MORE
FAVORABLE WAY FOR THE APPLICANT OF SUCH PROJECTS THAN IS CONSISTENT WITH
THE UNIFORM TAX EXEMPTION POLICY OF THE AGENCY.
  2.  UPON  THE ADOPTION OF A LOCAL LAW GIVING THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY,
COUNTY (OTHER THAN A COUNTY LOCATED  WHOLLY  WITHIN  A  CITY),  TOWN  OR
VILLAGE  WHERE  A  CLASS  ONE  OR  CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD PROJECT IS TO BE
LOCATED:
  (A) A CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECT LOCATED  WITHIN  SUCH  MUNICIPALITY
SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  FOR  ALL BENEFITS GRANTED AN EMPIRE ZONE EQUIVALENT
AREA PURSUANT TO SECTION NINE HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER, AND FOR
THE PURPOSE OF SUCH SECTION SUCH CLASS ONE BROWNFIELD PROJECT  SHALL  BE
DEEMED TO BE AN EMPIRE ZONE EQUIVALENT AREA; AND
  (B)  A  CLASS  TWO BROWNFIELD PROJECT LOCATED WITHIN SUCH MUNICIPALITY
UNLESS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED FOR ALL SUCH BENEFITS, SHALL BE  ENTITLED  TO
ONE-THIRD OF EACH OF THE BENEFITS GRANTED AN EMPIRE ZONE EQUIVALENT AREA
PURSUANT  TO SECTION NINE HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER, AND FOR THE
PURPOSE OF SUCH SECTION SUCH  CLASS  TWO  BROWNFIELD  PROJECT  SHALL  BE
DEEMED TO BE AN EMPIRE ZONE EQUIVALENT AREA BUT WITH REDUCED BENEFITS AS
SET FORTH IN THIS PARAGRAPH.
  3.  IN  ITS  ANNUAL  REPORT  FILED  PURSUANT  TO SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED
FIFTY-NINE OF THIS TITLE EACH AGENCY SHALL FILE A DETAILED REPORT ON ITS
ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE, FUND AND ASSIST CLASS ONE AND  CLASS  TWO  BROWN-
FIELD  PROJECTS  AND  A  DETAILED  EXPLANATION OF WHY ANY OTHER PROJECTS
ASSISTED BY THE AGENCY DID NOT INVOLVE THE USE, REUSE OR  REVITALIZATION
OF  EITHER CLASS ONE OR CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD SITES, AND THE COMMISSIONER
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHALL INCLUDE A REPORT ON THIS ACTIVITY  IN  THE
REPORT  HE  OR  SHE SUBMITS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION EIGHT
HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE OF THIS TITLE.
  4. IN ADMINISTERING THE ALLOCATION OF STATEWIDE  BOND  RESERVES  AMONG
LOCAL  AGENCIES AND LOCAL AGENCY SET-ASIDES AND CARRY FORWARD APPROVALS,
THE COMMISSIONER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK
STATE BOND ALLOCATION POLICY ADVISORY PANEL SHALL TAKE INTO  ACCOUNT  IN
MAKING  THEIR  DECISIONS  THE  ACTIVITY  OR  LACK OF IT OF ANY AGENCY IN
UTILIZING ITS RESOURCES TO ASSIST PROJECTS TO LOCATE ON  CLASS  ONE  AND
CLASS  TWO  BROWNFIELD  SITES  AND  MAY GIVE MORE FAVORABLE TREATMENT TO
THOSE AGENCIES WHICH ARE BEST UTILIZING THEIR RESOURCES TO ASSIST  CLASS
ONE AND CLASS TWO BROWNFIELD PROJECTS.
  S 8. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.