NY State Senate Bill 2019-S4618

Senate Bill S4618

2019-2020 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 08, 2020	referred to transportation
Mar 15, 2019	referred to transportation

2019-S4618 (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:: 2015-2016: S6011
2017-2018: S3413
2021-2022: S5020
2023-2024: S5216

2019-S4618 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2019-S4618 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4618

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
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-Hud-
son 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; aboli-
tionist and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth; and many others
including sculptors, writers, entertainers. There are no bridges, high-
ways, walkways or tunnels named after women.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving First Lady, was a dynamic, inno-
vative 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 govern-
ment 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:

2017-18: S.3413 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
2015-16: S.6011 - Referred to Transportation

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2019-S4618 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4618
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 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;
   §  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.

                                                            LBD10663-01-9

 S. 4618                             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.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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