Senate Bill S8467

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

    S. 8467                                                 A. 11686

                      S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y

                             August 4, 2010
                               ___________

IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered print-
  ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

IN  ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of
  A. Thiele) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Educa-
  tion

AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to study the feasibility
  of establishing a new college of the state university at the Southamp-
  ton campus of Stony Brook University

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

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings and intent.   The legislature finds
that since 2006, the state has invested more than $78 million to acquire
and establish a new campus as part of the State University at  Southamp-
ton  under  the  auspices  of  Stony Brook University.   This investment
includes the purchase of the campus, a new library,  renovated  dormito-
ries  and student center, a refurbished new fine arts building and thea-
ter, and other investments to the facilities and the physical plant.
  The legislature further finds that it has made a commitment  to  main-
tain  and  expand  opportunities  for  higher  education at this campus.
Higher education is the key to economic recovery and the  investment  at
Southampton reflects the intent of the legislature that higher education
is a priority.
  The  State  University  has  identified  certain  education  programs,
including all residential  facilities  at  the  Southampton  campus  for
closure  as  a means to achieve certain savings. The legislature opposes
such closure.  Therefore, the intent of this legislation is to establish
a task force to study the feasibility of establishing a new  college  of
the  state university at Southampton as well as the feasibility of other
uses of the campus.
  S 2. (a) There is hereby created a task force to study the  establish-
ment of a new college of the state university at Southampton.
  (1)  Such  task  force  shall consist of thirteen voting members to be
appointed by the governor as follows: one shall be  appointed  upon  the

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

                                                           LBD17637-03-0

S. 8467                             2                           A. 11686

recommendation  of  the  temporary president of the senate; one shall be
appointed upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the  senate,
one  shall  be  appointed  upon the recommendation of the speaker of the
assembly, one shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the minority
leader  of  the assembly, one shall be appointed upon the recommendation
of the town board of the town of Southampton,  one  shall  be  appointed
upon the recommendation of the village board of the village of Southamp-
ton,  one shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the tribal trus-
tees of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, one shall be  a  resident  of  the
town of Southampton, one shall be a member of a local business organiza-
tion,  one  shall  be a local environmental representative, one shall be
appointed upon the recommendation of the chancellor of the state univer-
sity, one shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the president of
Stony Brook University, and one shall be a member of a local civic asso-
ciation.
  (2) All members of the task force shall be appointed within 30 days of
the effective date of this act. The chair and the vice chair of the task
force shall be designated by the governor and shall be  members  of  the
task  force. Members in general shall be selected for their expertise in
higher education. Eight members of the task  force  shall  constitute  a
quorum  for the purposes of organizing the task force and conducting the
meetings thereof. Members of the task force shall serve  without  salary
or  other  compensation.  The task force shall meet not less than once a
month at the existing campus at Southampton until  a  final  report  and
recommendations are submitted in accordance with subdivision (d) of this
section.
  (b)  Such  task  force  shall serve to develop recommendations for the
future use of the Southampton campus, including but not limited  to  the
establishment  of  a new college of the state university at Southampton.
All state agencies shall provide their expertise  and,  where  possible,
their  resources  to  assist the task force in fulfilling its duties and
responsibilities.
  (c) Within six months after the appointment of the members of the task
force, the task force shall hold a public hearing. Thereafter, the  task
force  shall  consider and incorporate the comments made at such hearing
into preliminary recommendations. Such preliminary recommendations shall
be published and made available to the  public,  and  submitted  to  the
governor,  the  temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
assembly within nine months of the effective date of this act.   Follow-
ing  the  publishing and submission of such preliminary recommendations,
the task force shall provide at least 30 days but not more than 45  days
for public comment on the recommendations.
  (d)  The  task force shall develop and submit a final report of recom-
mendations to the governor, the temporary president of  the  senate  and
the speaker of the assembly on or before December 1, 2011.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.