NY State Senate Bill 2015-S6011

Senate Bill S6011

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Relates to changing the name of the walkway over the Hudson bridge to the Eleanor Roosevelt Walkway

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to transportation
Jun 23, 2015	referred to rules

2015-S6011 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§526 & 528, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S3413
2019-2020: S4618
2021-2022: S5020
2023-2024: S5216
2025-2026: S3892

2015-S6011 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to changing the name of the walkway over the Hudson bridge to the Eleanor Roosevelt Walkway.

2015-S6011 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S6011

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to changing
the name of the walkway over the Hudson bridge to the Eleanor
Roosevelt Walkway

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To name the walkway over the Hudson bridge "Eleanor Roosevelt Walkway,
meaning the Poughkeepsie-Highland railroad bridge which was
constructed across the Hudson river north of the Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Mid-Hudson bridge.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

There are over 2,000 bridges, walkways and tunnels in New York State,
all of which bear the names of men. The history of New York State,
however, is marked by remarkable women who were groundbreakers, the
first to accomplish a specific policy, social or electoral goal.
These women are known for having contributed to civil and human
rights, suffrage, social conditions, and the political landscape.
Among them have been Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott
organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention; Susan B. Anthony social
reformer, feminist and antislavery advocate; Bessie Buchanan the first

African-American woman elected to the NYS Assembly; abolitionist,
Union spy, and successful underground railroad facilitator Auburn
resident Harriet Tubman; abolitionist and women's rights activist
Sojourner Truth; and many others including sculptors, writers,
entertainers. There are no bridges, highways, walkways or tunnels
named after women.

JUSTIFICATION:

Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving First Lady, was a dynamic,
innovative and influential figure during her husband's tenure as
President and long after his passing. She was a champion for civil
rights engaging black leaders Mary McLeod Bethune and Walter Francis
White as she moved to oppose the poll tax, supporting the Southern
Tenant Farmer's Union (open to all races) to improve working
conditions and a more equitable distribution of farmers' profits under
the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and pursued the inclusion
of blacks included in government programs. Her advocacy for safe and
sanitary housing resulted in the clearance of slums and the creation
of planned communities known as "greenbelts." Eleanor Roosevelt's
interest in the arts served to create the Federal Arts Project. While
providing employment for diverse artists who would become part of the
American artscape for generations to come such as Marsden Hartley,
Romare Bearden, Louise Nevelson, and Jackson Pollock, the Project
served to document the pathos of the Great Depression through the lens
of Gordon Parks, Berenice Abbot, Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange.

Ultimately, Eleanor Roosevelt served as the emissary who walked across
America and served as the President's eyes and ears as to the national
condition. It is appropriate that a walkway in proximity to their Hyde
Park home be named in recognition of this inimitable New York woman.


PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

One hundred eighty days.

2015-S6011 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  6011

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 23, 2015
                               ___________

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

AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to changing  the
  name  of  the  walkway over the Hudson bridge to the Eleanor Roosevelt
  Walkway

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

  Section 1. Subdivisions 7-b and 9 of section 526 of the public author-
ities  law,  subdivision  7-b  as  added and subdivision 9 as amended by
chapter 219 of the laws of 2010, are amended to read as follows:
  7-b. The term ["walkway over the Hudson  bridge"]  "ELEANOR  ROOSEVELT
WALKWAY"  shall  be  deemed  to  mean the Poughkeepsie-Highland railroad
bridge which was constructed across the Hudson river north of the Frank-
lin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson bridge[.];
  9. The term "bridges" shall be deemed to mean collectively  Mid-Hudson
bridge, Rip Van Winkle bridge, Bear Mountain bridge, Kingston-Rhinecliff
bridge, both spans of the Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon bridge, [walkway
over the Hudson bridge] ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WALKWAY, and incidental roads,
approaches, structures and facilities;
  S  2. Subdivisions 1-a, 8 and 17 of section 528 of the public authori-
ties law, subdivisions 1-a and 8 as amended and subdivision 17 as  added
by chapter 219 of the laws of 2010, are amended to read as follows:
  1-a.  To  hold in the name of the state any real property acquired for
its corporate purposes and, with the approval of  the  commissioner,  to
sell,  lease,  exchange,  or  otherwise  dispose of any real property or
rights or easements therein, heretofore or hereafter  acquired  pursuant
to  the  "state bridge authority act", determined by it to be not neces-
sary for its corporate purposes,  and  shall  accept  ownership  of  the
[walkway  over  the Hudson bridge] ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WALKWAY in the name
of the state, and acquire such incidental roads, approaches,  structures
and facilities as may be necessary.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11717-01-5

S. 6011                             2

  8.  To  charge tolls for the use of the bridges, with the exception of
the [walkway over the Hudson bridge] ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WALKWAY,  subject
to and in accordance with such agreements with bondholders and notehold-
ers  as  may  be  made  as  hereinafter  provided, except, however, that
subject  to  such  agreements the rates of tolls charged on the Franklin
Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson bridge, the Kingston Rhinecliff bridge,  the
Bear  Mountain  bridge, the Rip Van Winkle bridge, and the Hamilton Fish
Newburgh-Beacon bridge shall be the same.
  17. To enter into a lease or operating agreement, for a period not  to
exceed  ninety-nine  years,  with  the  office  of parks, recreation and
historic preservation for all or a portion  of  the  [walkway  over  the
Hudson  bridge]  ELEANOR  ROOSEVELT  WALKWAY  for the purpose of a state
park. Such agreement may  assign  or  allocate  responsibility  for  the
construction,  operation, maintenance, replacement and management of the
deck and approaches and structures providing public access to the  state
park,  but the authority shall retain responsibility for maintaining the
superstructure of the [walkway over the Hudson bridge] ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
WALKWAY. The office of parks, recreation and  historic  preservation  is
authorized to enter into such agreement, which may include the installa-
tion  and  maintenance  by  the office of parks, recreation and historic
preservation of any personal property and equipment used  in  connection
therewith.  The  office  of  parks, recreation and historic preservation
shall propose in its annual budget an amount for  all  costs  and  obli-
gations  under  such  agreement  and  these costs may be supplemented by
private donations.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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