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

                                  8111

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 20, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in  relation  to  creating
  the Empire State baseball trails program

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

  Section 1. The economic development law is amended  by  adding  a  new
article 5-F to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 5-F
                  EMPIRE STATE BASEBALL TRAILS PROGRAM
SECTION 181-F. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
        181-G. DEFINITIONS.
        181-H. GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER.
  S  181-F.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZES THAT PROFES-
SIONAL BASEBALL HAS HISTORICALLY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ECONOM-
IC AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE STATE. THE PUBLIC IS GENERALLY FAMILIAR WITH
THE TWO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS WITH  THE  BASE-
BALL  HALL  OF  FAME IN COOPERSTOWN. THERE IS MUCH LESS PUBLIC AWARENESS
THAT NEW YORK STATE IS ALSO THE  HOME  OF  THIRTEEN  PROFESSIONAL  MINOR
LEAGUE AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE TEAMS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE STATE.  GREAT-
ER  PUBLIC  AWARENESS  OF  THESE  TEAMS AND THEIR GAME SCHEDULES HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY ADD TO THE STATE'S TOURISM TRADE.  THE  MINOR
LEAGUE AND INDEPENDENT LEAGUE TEAMS ARE SMALL BUSINESSES THEMSELVES, AND
COULD  HELP  TO DRAW IN-STATE AND OUT-OF-STATE TOURISTS TO THEIR RESPEC-
TIVE AREAS OF NEW YORK, THEREBY INCREASING HOTEL, RESTAURANT  AND  OTHER
TOURIST  RELATED  SMALL BUSINESSES. IT IS, THEREFORE, THE INTENT OF THIS
LEGISLATURE TO HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM WHICH WILL SYSTEMATICALLY  PROMOTE
NEW  YORK  MINOR  LEAGUE  AND  INDEPENDENT  LEAGUE BASEBALL AS A TOURIST
ATTRACTION, BY ESTABLISHING A BASEBALL TRAIL PROGRAM. IT IS THE  FURTHER
INTENT  OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT THESE TRAILS BE LINKED THEMATICALLY, AND
BE CONSTRUED SO AS TO BE EASILY TRAVELED BY TOURISTS AND BASEBALL  FANS.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02840-01-3
              

A. 8111                             2

THE LEGISLATURE SEEKS THE CREATION OF ITINERARIES TO AID TRAVELERS ALONG
BASEBALL  TRAILS,  WHICH ALSO LINK TOGETHER OTHER ATTRACTIONS AND VENUES
ALONG SAID TRAILS IN ORDER TO ATTRACT VISITORS WITH A SIMPLE  AND  EFFI-
CIENT  TRAVEL  PLAN. FURTHER IT IS THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATURE TO SEE
THAT THESE TRAILS ARE ADEQUATELY SIGNED SO THAT TRAVELERS MAY  INDEPEND-
ENTLY FOLLOW THE TRAIL WITH EASE.
  S  181-G.  DEFINITIONS.  AS  USED  IN THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING DEFI-
NITIONS SHALL APPLY:
  1. "BASEBALL TRAIL" SHALL  MEAN  A  SERIES  OF  PROFESSIONAL  BASEBALL
VENUES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WHICH MAY BE LINKED BY GEOGRAPHIC
PROXIMITY AND ALIGNMENT, AND GAME SCHEDULES.
  2.  "BASEBALL  PASSPORT"  SHALL  MEAN  A BOOKLET OR OTHER PUBLICATION,
WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO THE  PROFESSIONAL  BASEBALL  VENUES  AND  GAMES  OR
SURROUNDING  ATTRACTIONS  ON A BASEBALL TRAIL, AND MAY INCLUDE DISCOUNTS
AND OTHER INCENTIVES RELATED TO ATTENDING BASEBALL  GAMES  AND  VISITING
THE BASEBALL VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS ON THE BASEBALL TRAIL.
  S  181-H. GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER. 1.
THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN  "I  LOVE  NY  BASEBALL"
PROMOTION PROGRAM. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSION-
ER  OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ANY LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT OFFICIAL OR ENTITY, SHALL IDENTIFY A SERIES OF BASEBALL VENUES  AND
GAMES  TO BE PART OF A BASEBALL TRAIL. NO FEWER THAN TWO BASEBALL TRAILS
SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THE  PROGRAM.  IN  IDENTIFYING
SPECIFIC  VENUES  AND  GAMES TO BE INCLUDED ON A BASEBALL TRAIL, SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION SHALL BE GIVEN TO THOSE TRAILS WHICH PROMOTE MINOR  LEAGUE
AND  INDEPENDENT  LEAGUE  BASEBALL.  SPECIAL CONSIDERATION SHALL ALSO BE
GIVEN TO TRAILS WHICH CAN  BE  LINKED  TO  SURROUNDING  ARTS,  CULTURAL,
HISTORICAL,  ENTERTAINMENT  OR OTHER TOURISM DESTINATIONS OR EXHIBITS OF
INTEREST TO TRAVELERS.
  2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CAUSE  TO  BE  DEVELOPED  BASEBALL  VACATION
ITINERARIES  BASED ON SPECIFIC BASEBALL TRAILS, WHICH SHALL IDENTIFY FOR
VISITORS BASEBALL GAMES AND SURROUNDING ATTRACTIONS, RESTAURANTS,  LODG-
ING  AND  OTHER  EXHIBITS OR PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT AS MAY BE A PART OF
THE THEME LINKING THE BASEBALL VENUES ON THE BASEBALL TRAIL.
  3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK TO DEVELOP DISCOUNT PACKAGES  FOR  SUCH
BASEBALL  TRAILS,  WHICH MAY INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BASEBALL PASS-
PORT.
  4. NOTHING SHALL PRECLUDE THE COMMISSIONER FROM  CONTRACTING  WITH  AN
INDEPENDENT  VACATION OR TRAVEL PACKAGE COMPANY TO HELP DEVELOP BASEBALL
VACATION PACKAGES ALONG A BASEBALL TRAIL.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
have become a law.