Senate Bill S7583

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

                                  7583

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 15, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  LITTLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

AN ACT to create a temporary New York state women's suffrage 100th anni-
  versary commemoration commission, and providing  for  its  powers  and
  duties;  and  providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira-
  tion thereof

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

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature hereby finds and
declares there is a need to create a New  York  state  women's  suffrage
100th anniversary commemoration commission to promote the 100th anniver-
sary  of  women's suffrage, which will take place between the years 2017
and 2020. The primary focus of the New York state women's suffrage 100th
anniversary commemoration commission will be  to  plan  and  execute  an
organized  series of statewide conversations and programs that celebrate
the accomplishment of women's suffrage and the central role of New York-
ers and New York state in this  national  and  international  milestone,
while  also helping shape the future to ensure a more just and equitable
society for all. The legislature finds that the creation of a  New  York
state  women's  suffrage  100th  anniversary commemoration commission is
necessary to bring together persons qualified by  experience  and/or  by
powers vested in them by their offices to coordinate and facilitate such
a multi-year event.
  S  2.  New York state women's suffrage 100th anniversary commemoration
commission; created. (a) There  is  hereby  created  a  temporary  state
commission  to  be  known  as the "New York state women's suffrage 100th
anniversary commemoration commission".
  (b) As used in this act, "commission" means the New York state women's
suffrage 100th anniversary commemoration commission.
  (c) (1) The commission shall consist of 13 members as follows:
  (i) the commissioner of parks, recreation and  historic  preservation,
or his or her duly designated representative;
  (ii)  the  commissioner  of  education,  or his or her duly designated
representative;

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

                                                           LBD15256-01-4

S. 7583                             2

  (iii) the commissioner of economic development, or  his  or  her  duly
designated representative;
  (iv) the president of the League of Women Voters of New York State;
  (v) the superintendent of the Women's Rights National Historical Park;
  (vi) the president of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House;
  (vii) the director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation;
  (viii)  a  member of the board of the New York Council for the Humani-
ties as a non-voting member;
  (ix) one member appointed by the governor;
  (x) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
  (xi) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
  (xii) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
  (xiii) one member shall be appointed by the  minority  leader  of  the
assembly.
  The five appointed members shall serve at the pleasure of the appoint-
ing  official.  Vacancies  shall  be  filled  in the manner provided for
original appointments.
  (2) The members of the commission shall receive  no  compensation  for
their  services  but  shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary
expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties.
  (3) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special
or local law, ordinance, resolution or charter, no  officer,  member  or
employee  of the state or of any public corporation shall forfeit his or
her office or employment by reason of his or her acceptance of  appoint-
ment as a member of the commission, nor shall service as such commission
member be deemed incompatible or in conflict with such office or employ-
ment.
  (4)  The  commission  shall  appoint such staff as may be necessary to
carry out its duties.
  S 3. Powers and duties of the commission. The  commission  shall  have
the following powers and duties:
  (a)  To  coordinate  the  commemoration  of  the  100th anniversary of
women's suffrage for the years 2017 through 2020;
  (b) To plan and execute an organized series of conversations surround-
ing women's suffrage starting in 2015;
  (c) To utilize a portfolio of public humanities programs to engage the
citizens of New York with the important issues inherent to  the  women's
suffrage initiative; and
  (d) Hold lectures exploring how women have shaped history and continue
to form the history of New York state.
  S  4.  The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel
as it may deem necessary for the performance of its  functions  and  fix
their  compensation  within  the amounts made available by appropriation
therefor. The commission may meet and hold public and/or  private  hear-
ings  within  or  without  the  state,  and shall have all the powers of
legislative committee pursuant to the legislative law.
  S 5. The commission may request and shall receive  from  any  subdivi-
sion, department, board, commission, office, agency, or other instrumen-
tality of the state or of any political subdivision thereof such facili-
ties,  assistance  and  data  as it deems necessary or desirable for the
proper execution of its powers and duties and to effectuate the purposes
set forth in this act.
  S 6. The commission is hereby authorized and empowered to  enter  into
any  agreements  and  to  do and perform any acts that may be necessary,
desirable or proper to carry out the purposes  and  objectives  of  this
act.  The  commission  shall  contract with the New York Council for the

S. 7583                             3

Humanities for the grant and re-granting  of  programs  to  develop  and
implement the above.
  S  7.  The  commission  shall continue in existence until December 31,
2020.
  S 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
deemed repealed December 31, 2020.