Assembly Resolution No. 801

BY: M. of A. Stirpe

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 1-7, 2022, as Small Business Week in the State
of New York

WHEREAS, Small businesses of all kinds, from restaurants and local
farms to hair salons and bike shops to tech firms and landscapers, are
crucial to the health of individual communities and to the state's
economy overall, but have been greatly tested during these past two
difficult years; and

WHEREAS, Prior to March 2020, when New York State declared a state
of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 623,000 small
businesses called New York State home, comprising 98 percent of all
businesses; and

WHEREAS, Prior to the pandemic, New York State's small businesses
had employed more than four million people, or 50.2 percent of all the
employees in the state, and generated 54 percent of New York's total
known export value; and

WHEREAS, Small businesses showed great ingenuity by adapting quickly
to pandemic-related restrictions and resulting economic hardships and
they continued to serve their communities; and

WHEREAS, Nine out of 10 small businesses report having experienced
major changes in their business because of the pandemic; and

WHEREAS, While many small businesses benefited from Federal and New
York State COVID-19 relief programs, safety precautions and then supply
chain disruptions forced many to lay off workers and some to shut their
doors; and

WHEREAS, In the last two state budgets, New York has attempted to
directly help small businesses with almost $2.5 billion in grants, tax
relief and tax credits, as well as expanded access to capital and
job-creating investments; and

WHEREAS, New York State continues to actively support minority- and
women-owned business enterprises with increased investments and greater
access to procurement contracting; and

WHEREAS, New York State is prioritizing and promoting
service-disabled veteran-owned businesses with grants and technical
assistance programs and in the public procurement process; and

WHEREAS, The innovation, diversity, competitive strength, job
creation, and quality of life that small businesses bring to our economy
are vital elements for our State's long-term economic health; and

WHEREAS, The entrepreneurial spirit of New York residents has led to
the creation and growth of emerging agricultural industries in New York,
such as craft beverages, artisanal foods, and the production of hemp,
hops and adult-use cannabis; and


WHEREAS, Small business owners demonstrate extraordinary resilience
in the face of larger forces beyond their control, such as challenging
economic times, supply chain disruptions, and pandemics; and

WHEREAS, The future welfare of our State depends on the continued
development of small businesses; and

WHEREAS, The members of the New York State Assembly wish to proclaim
their recognition of small businesses as a crucial element in the
economy of New York State and the need for all residents to shop
locally; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to declare May 1-7, 2022, as Small
Business Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.