S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  2158

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 14, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Small Business

AN  ACT  to amend the economic development law, in relation to directing
  the division for small business to maintain a small business portal on
  the department of economic development internet website

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

  Section  1.  Subdivisions  7,  8,  9,  10 and 11 of section 134 of the
economic development law, subdivision 7 as added by chapter 547  of  the
laws  of  1976,  subdivision 8 as amended and subdivision 11 as added by
chapter 361 of the laws of 2009, subdivision 9 as amended by chapter 490
of the laws of 1993, subdivision 10 as added by chapter 543 of the  laws
of  2002,  are  amended  and  a  new  subdivision 12 is added to read as
follows:
  7. review pending legislation affecting  small-businesses  and  report
its findings to the commissioner; [and]
  8. initiate and encourage small-business education programs in general
and  to  coordinate with the functions of the office of general services
an information and outreach program directed toward informing  small-bu-
sinesses  in  the  state of procedures necessary for competing for state
purchases and to coordinate with the functions of  every  state  agency,
department  or  authority described in section one hundred thirty-nine-g
of the state finance law, pursuant to subdivision  (b)  of  section  one
hundred  thirty-nine-g  of  the  state  finance  law, an information and
outreach program directed toward informing small-businesses in the state
of procedures necessary for competing  for  state  contracts,  including
without  limitation  educating  small  contractors  about surety bonding
requirements on state contracts, and identifying resources available  to
such  contractors  in obtaining their first bond and in increasing their
bonding capacity, including but not limited to the federal  small  busi-
ness administration bond guarantee program[.];

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04108-01-1
              

A. 2158                             2

  9.  the  commissioner and the commissioners of agriculture and markets
and the office of general services shall initiate and  encourage  small-
business  education  programs  and  coordinate with the functions of the
office of general services, pursuant to subdivision [(b)] SIX of section
one  hundred  [sixty-one-b]  SIXTY-THREE  of  the  state finance law, an
information and outreach  program  directed  toward  informing  eligible
businesses  in  the  state  of  procedures  necessary  for competing for
purchases of food products pursuant to SUBDIVISION FOUR OF  section  one
hundred  [seventy-four-a] SIXTY-FIVE of the state finance law and subdi-
vision eight-a of section one hundred three  of  the  general  municipal
law,  and  to  coordinate  with  the  functions of every state agency or
department described in subdivision (b) of section one  hundred  thirty-
nine-g  of  the  state  finance law, an information and outreach program
directed toward informing eligible businesses in the state of procedures
necessary for competing for contracts for the purchase of food  products
pursuant  to  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF section one hundred [seventy-four-a]
SIXTY-FIVE of the state finance law and subdivision eight-a  of  section
one hundred three of the general municipal law[.];
  10.  conduct  a  survey  of  all  business incubators in the state and
assess the need for  additional  incubator  facilities  to  nurture  the
growth and development of small businesses[.];
  11.  provide assistance to small business in the state, and facilitate
access to programs serving small business, to  ensure  that  such  busi-
nesses  benefit,  as  needed, from technical, managerial, financial, and
general  business  assistance;  training;  marketing;  organization  and
personnel  skill  development; project management assistance; technology
assistance; bond and insurance education assistance; and other  business
development assistance. In addition, either independently or in conjunc-
tion with other state agencies:
  (a)  develop  a  clearinghouse of information on programs and services
provided by entities that may assist such businesses; and
  (b) seek to maximize utilization  by  small  businesses  of  available
federal  resources  including  but not limited to federal grants, loans,
loan guarantees, surety bonding guarantees,  technical  assistance,  and
programs  and  services of the federal small business administration[.];
AND
  12. MAINTAIN A SMALL BUSINESS  PORTAL  ON  THE  DEPARTMENT'S  INTERNET
WEBSITE.  SUCH  PORTAL  SHALL  BE  A  ONE-STOP  SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON
ASSISTANCE TO SMALL BUSINESSES. THE PORTAL SHALL  PROVIDE  EXISTING  AND
PROSPECTIVE  SMALL  BUSINESSES  WITH INFORMATION ON SERVICES PROVIDED BY
LOCAL,  STATE  AND  FEDERAL  AGENCIES,  INCLUDING  ASSISTANCE  WITH  AND
PROVISION  OF  ONLINE  APPLICATIONS  FOR  PERMITS  AND  PERMIT RENEWALS,
FINANCING, TAX EXEMPTIONS, RELOCATION AND PROPERTY ACQUISITION, LOCATING
AND TRAINING EMPLOYEES, HEALTH  AND  BUSINESS  INSURANCE,  ENVIRONMENTAL
COMPLIANCE,  OTHER  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE,  MINORITY  AND WOMEN BUSINESS
ENTITIES AND ISSUES FACING VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES.
  S 2. The opening paragraph of section 135 of the economic  development
law is designated subdivision 1 and a new subdivision 2 is added to read
as follows:
  2. ANY DEPARTMENT, DIVISION, BOARD, BUREAU, COMMISSION OR OTHER AGENCY
SUBJECT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL ALSO
PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE  THE  DIVISION
FOR  SMALL  BUSINESS  TO  PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER
SUBDIVISION TWELVE OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR OF  THIS  ARTICLE,
INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS WEB
PORTAL AND THE PROVISION OF LINKS TO RELEVANT AGENCY WEBSITES.

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  S 3. The division for small business  shall  periodically  assess  the
extent  to  which the small business web portal provided for in subdivi-
sion 12 of section 134 of the economic development law  is  serving  the
needs  of  existing  and prospective owners and operators of small busi-
nesses,  through  such  measures  as  user  surveys, online feedback and
soliciting input from the advisory board provided for in section 133  of
the  economic  development  law. Such division shall update the services
offered through such portal to reflect additional needed services  iden-
tified through such assessments.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law.