S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8932
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 19, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Economic Development
 
 AN ACT authorizing the empire state development corporation to develop a
   public  awareness  campaign  promoting  businesses located in New York
   state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. 1. The empire state development corporation shall develop,
 establish and implement a public awareness campaign promoting businesses
 located in New York state and encouraging individuals and businesses  to
 purchase products and services from such businesses, with an emphasis on
 the need to shop at and support local small businesses as defined pursu-
 ant  to section 131 of the economic development law, as well as the need
 to shop at and support local downtown areas.
   2. The campaign shall include an internet website  providing  informa-
 tion  on  businesses  located  in  New  York  state  and their available
 products and services including a Buy New York Online Networking  Direc-
 tory.  The  owner of any business located and operated in this state may
 apply to the empire state development corporation to  have  his  or  her
 business  included  on  such directory. The directory shall include, but
 not be limited to, participating businesses' names,  addresses,  contact
 information,   including  telephone  number,  fax,  e-mail  and  website
 address, products or services offered with a brief description, and  any
 additional information, including history, hours and dates of operation,
 and  number  of employees. The names of businesses participating in such
 directory shall be organized by specific categories based on the various
 goods or services that such business provides. Such directory  shall  be
 searchable  by  such  specific categories including, but not limited to,
 small businesses as defined pursuant to  section  131  of  the  economic
 development  law.  Such directory shall also include a search capability
 to allow for participating businesses to be searched by the products  or
 services they offer.
   3. The public awareness campaign shall be made available to the public
 by  any  means deemed appropriate by the empire state development corpo-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01051-05-2
 A. 8932                             2
 
 ration including, but not limited to, internet, radio, and print  adver-
 tising  such as brochures, billboards and posters. The campaign may also
 identify and recruit individuals to serve as visible, public ambassadors
 to promote this message.
   4.  The campaign shall begin no later than January 1, 2024. The empire
 state development corporation shall prepare  an  annual  report  to  the
 governor and the legislature on or before December first of each year on
 the  public  awareness  campaign,  including:  (a)  actions taken by the
 empire state development corporation to carry out the  public  awareness
 campaign  and  (b) an assessment of the necessary appropriations for the
 empire state development corporation to meet the needs of  the  campaign
 in the next fiscal year.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.