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

                                  3451

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 25, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GABRYSZAK, SCHIMMINGER, ROBINSON, GUNTHER --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M.  of A. HOOPER, MAGNARELLI, McENENY,  PHEFFER,
  SWEENEY,  WEISENBERG  --  read  once  and referred to the Committee on
  Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

AN ACT to amend the arts  and  cultural  affairs  law,  in  relation  to
  authorizing  volunteer  fire and ambulance companies to receive grants
  for local government records management improvement

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

  Section  1.  The  legislature  finds that volunteer fire and ambulance
companies perform a vital function for  the  municipalities  which  they
serve,  one  that is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of all
persons within such  municipalities.  Such  functions  are  therefore  a
public purpose. Thus, the public records of volunteer fire and ambulance
companies  are a matter of great importance and concern to the state and
are necessary to the administration of  the  municipalities  which  they
serve.  These  public records document the legal responsibilities of the
volunteer fire and ambulance companies and  the  reciprocal  rights  and
liabilities  of  the  municipalities  which  they serve. These essential
public records provide citizens and other public officials with a  means
of  monitoring the entitlements and obligation of municipalities and the
expenditure of public funds. In addition, such records also reflect  the
historical  development of the communities served by such volunteer fire
and ambulance companies.
  Such records  are  necessary  to  municipalities  in  connection  with
service  award  programs  for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambu-
lance workers pursuant to articles 11-A,  11-AA,  11-AAA,  and  11-AAAA,
respectively,  of  the  general municipal law. These records are equally
necessary in connection with municipalities' obligations  pertaining  to
volunteer firefighters under article 10 of the general municipal law.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08352-01-1

              

A. 3451                             2

  S  2.  Subdivisions  1 and 3 of section 57.17 of the arts and cultural
affairs law, as added by chapter 737 of the laws of 1987, are amended to
read as follows:
  1.  "Local  government"  means any county, city, town, village, school
district, board of cooperative  educational  services,  district  corpo-
ration,  public benefit corporation, public corporation, FIRE COMPANY AS
DEFINED IN SECTION THREE OF THE  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS'  BENEFIT  LAW,
AMBULANCE COMPANY AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE OF THE VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE
WORKERS'  BENEFIT  LAW, or other government created under state law that
is not a state department, division, board, bureau, commission or  other
agency, heretofore or hereafter established by law.
  3.  "Local  officer" shall mean and include a local officer as defined
in section two of the public officers law and any officer  of  a  public
benefit  corporation,  FIRE  COMPANY  AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE OF THE
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS' BENEFIT LAW, OR AMBULANCE COMPANY AS DEFINED  IN
SECTION THREE OF THE VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE WORKERS' BENEFIT LAW.
  S  3.  The commissioner of education is hereby authorized and directed
to promulgate any rules  or  regulations  necessary  to  effectuate  the
provisions of this act.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.