BILL NUMBER: S1870

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the
submission of a twenty-year capital needs assessment

 
PURPOSE:

To set specific deadlines for the submission of the MTA Twenty-Year
Capital Needs Assessment to the MTA Capital Program Review Board.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends section 1269-b of the public authorities law by
adding a new subdivision 10, which provides that on or before October
first, two thousand twenty-three, and on or before October first of
every fifth year thereafter, the authority shall submit to the metropol-
itan transportation authority capital program review board a twenty-year
capital needs assessment. Such assessment shall begin with the period
              

commencing January first, two thousand twenty-five, and begin each
assessment with every fifth year thereafter, and propose investments
over the succeeding twenty years. Such assessment shall: (a) set forth
broad long-term capital investments to be made throughout the district;
and (b) establish a non-binding basis to be used by the authority in the
planning of strategic investments involving capital elements in its
five-year capital plans.

Section two provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Pursuant to section 1269-b of the Public Authorities Law, the Metropol-
itan Transportation Authority (MTA) completes a Capital Plan every five
years. The Capital Plan is a short-range plan, usually four to six
years, which identifies capital projects and equipment purchases,
provides a planning schedule and identifies options for financing the
plan.{1}

In addition, the MTA completes a Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
every five years, which sets forth broad, long-term capital investment
goals and provides a roadmap for the drafting of the Capital Plan. The
MTA has described the Twenty-Year Capital Needs.  Assessment as a "crit-
ical building block for the development" of the Capital Plan.{2} Howev-
er, there is currently no provision in the law that requires the MTA to
develop and complete the Assessment let alone a specific deadline for
when it must be submitted to the MTA Capital Program Review Board, so
there is no requirement that the Assessment be submitted before the MTA
submits its Capital Plan.

To correct this gap in the law, this legislation amends the Public
Authorities Law to require the MTA to develop, complete and submit to
its Capital Program Review Board a Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
by October first beginning in 2023 and by October first of every fifth
year thereafter. The deadline structure created by this bill would mean
that beginning in 2023, the MTA Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
will have to be submitted one year prior to the submission of the MTA
Capital Plan.
Requiring the MTA develop, complete and submit its Twenty-Year Capital
Needs Assessment every five years by an October first deadline in the
year preceding the submission of its Capital Plan will afford the Capi-
tal Review Board, and by extension the Legislature, sufficient time to
thoroughly review the Assessment before it receives and approves the
Capital Plan.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
{1} See "MTA Capital Program Dashboard."
http://web.mtainfo/capitaldashboard/CPDHome.html?AGY=z&PLN=O&RPT=c
{2} See
http://web.mtainfo/mtainews/books/docs/Capital-Program-20-Year-Needs
Letter-from-ChairmanPrendergast.pdf

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1870A

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the
submission of a twenty-year capital needs assessment

 
PURPOSE:

To set specific deadlines for the submission of the MTA Twenty-Year
Capital Needs Assessment to the MTA Capital Program Review Board.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends section 1269-b of the public authorities law by
adding a new subdivision 10, which provides that on or before October
first, two thousand twenty-three, and on or before October first of
every fifth year thereafter, the authority shall submit to the metropol-
itan transportation authority capital program review board a twenty-year
capital needs assessment. Such assessment shall begin with the period
              

commencing January first, two thousand twenty-five, and begin each
assessment with every fifth year thereafter, and propose investments
over the succeeding twenty years. Such assessment shall: (a) set forth
broad long-term capital investments to be made throughout the district;
and (b) establish a non-binding basis to be used by the authority in the
planning of strategic investments involving capital elements in its
five-year capital plans.  In addition, language is provided to clarify
that the document is for informational and planning purposes only and
thus does not require a vote of the MTA Capital Program Review Board.

Section two provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Pursuant to section 1269-b of the Public Authorities Law, the Metropol-
itan Transportation Authority (MTA) completes a Capital Plan every five
years. The Capital Plan is a short-range plan, usually four to six
years, which identifies capital projects and equipment purchases,
provides a planning schedule and identifies options for financing the
plan.{1}

In addition, the MTA completes a Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
every five years, which sets forth broad, long-term capital investment
goals and provides a roadmap for the drafting of the Capital Plan. The
MTA has described the Twenty-Year Capital Needs. Assessment as a "crit-
ical building block for the development" of the Capital Plan.{2} Howev-
er, there is currently no provision in the law that requires the MTA to
develop and complete the Assessment let alone a specific deadline for
when it must be submitted to the MTA Capital Program Review Board, so
there is no requirement that the Assessment be submitted before the MTA
submits its Capital Plan.

To correct this gap in the law, this legislation amends the Public
Authorities Law to require the MTA to develop, complete and submit to
its Capital Program Review Board a Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
by October first beginning in 2023 and by October first of every fifth
year thereafter. The deadline structure created by this bill would mean
that beginning in 2023, the MTA Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment
will have to be submitted one year prior to the submission of the MTA
Capital Plan.

Requiring the MTA develop, complete and submit its Twenty-Year Capital
Needs Assessment every five years by an October first deadline in the
year preceding the submission of its Capital Plan will afford the Capi-
tal Review Board, and by extension the Legislature, sufficient time to
thoroughly review the Assessment before it receives and approves the
Capital Plan.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
(1} See "MTA Capital Program Dashboard."
http://web.mtainfo/capitaldashboard/CPDHome.html?AGY=z&PLN=O&RPT=c
{2} See
http://web.mtainfo/mtainews/books/docs/Capital-Program-20-Year-Needs
Letter-from-ChairmanPrendergast.pdf