S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6960
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 20, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic  Devel-
   opment and Small Business
 
 AN  ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to establish-
   ing the relocated worker grant 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 26 to read as follows:
                                 ARTICLE 26
                      RELOCATED WORKER GRANT PROGRAM
 SECTION 480. DEFINITIONS.
         481. RELOCATED WORKER GRANT PROGRAM.
   § 480. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "RELOCATED WORKER" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO:
   (A) IS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE OF A BUSINESS;
   (B) BECOMES A FULL-TIME RESIDENT OF THIS STATE  ON  OR  AFTER  JANUARY
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE; AND
   (C) RELOCATES TO AN ELIGIBLE LOCATION DESIGNATED UNDER THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  "QUALIFYING EXPENSES" MEANS ACTUAL COSTS A RELOCATED WORKER INCURS
 FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING THAT ARE  NECESSARY  TO  PERFORM  THEIR
 EMPLOYMENT DUTIES:
   (A) RELOCATION TO THIS STATE;
   (B) COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE;
   (C) BROADBAND ACCESS OR UPGRADE; AND
   (D) MEMBERSHIP IN A CO-WORKING OR SIMILAR SPACE.
   3. "ELIGIBLE LOCATION" MEANS EVERY CITY WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN
 NINETY  THOUSAND  BUT LESS THAN THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND, AS OF THE EFFEC-
 TIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11536-01-1
              

 S. 6960                             2
 
   § 481. RELOCATED WORKER GRANT PROGRAM. 1. THE EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT
 CORPORATION SHALL  DESIGN  AND  IMPLEMENT  THE  RELOCATED  WORKER  GRANT
 PROGRAM,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE A CERTIFICATION PROCESS TO CERTIFY RELO-
 CATED WORKERS AND CERTIFY QUALIFYING EXPENSES FOR A REIMBURSEMENT  GRANT
 UNDER THIS SECTION INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REQUIRING:
   (A) PROOF OF RESIDENCE;
   (B) PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT; AND
   (C) PROOF OF PURCHASES FOR QUALIFYING EXPENSES.
   2.  A RELOCATED WORKER MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REIMBURSEMENT GRANT UNDER
 THE PROGRAM FOR QUALIFYING EXPENSES IN THE AMOUNT OF NOT MORE THAN  FIVE
 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   3.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  AWARD GRANTS UNDER THE PROGRAM ON A FIRST-
 COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS, SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE FUNDING AS MAY BE  APPRO-
 PRIATED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
   4. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL:
   (A) ADOPT PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM;
   (B) PROMULGATE A LIST OF QUALIFYING EXPENSES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
 TO:
   (I) HIRING A MOVING COMPANY OR RENTING MOVING EQUIPMENT;
   (II) A DOWN PAYMENT OR SECURITY DEPOSIT FOR A RESIDENCE;
   (III) SOFTWARE NECESSARY TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT;
   (IV)  COMPUTER  AND  OTHER  TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO THEIR
 EMPLOYMENT;
   (V) FEES OR SUBSCRIPTION COSTS RELATED TO INTERNET ACCESS; AND
   (VI) FEES RELATED TO SECURING A CO-WORKING SPACE;
   (C) PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING  THROUGH  COORDINATION
 WITH  RELEVANT  TRADE  GROUPS  AND  BY INTEGRATION INTO THE DEPARTMENT'S
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS; AND
   (D) ADOPT MEASURABLE GOALS, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND AN AUDIT STRATE-
 GY TO ASSESS THE UTILIZATION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM.
   5. NO LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE
 TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,  AND  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY
 CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
 TO:
   (A) A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCEDURES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION;
   (B) THE PROMOTION AND MARKETING OF THE PROGRAM; AND
   (C) ANY ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUALIFYING EXPENSES OR QUALIFY-
 ING WORKERS THAT SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE PROGRAM, AND ANY RECOMMEN-
 DATIONS FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF THE GRANT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.