NY State Senate Bill S1655

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to local government
Jan 14, 2021	referred to local government

Co-Sponsors

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5200
Current Committee:: Senate Local Government
Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§862 & 874, Gen Muni L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S4667, A7256

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prevents the use of funds, financial incentives, subsidies or tax exemptions for projects where the occupier of the project is not disclosed.

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S1655

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to preventing the
use of funds, financial incentives, subsidies or tax exemptions for
project occupants which are not public

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would prohibit industrial development agencies (IDAs) from
giving financial assistance to projects where the project occupant is
kept secret from the public. Taxpayers should know which companies their
money is going to support.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new subdivision to section 862 of the general munici-
pal law stating that IDAs may not give financial incentives or subsidies
to a project in which the project occupant is not publicly disclosed at

the time of the required public hearing for the project.

Section 2: Adds a new subdivision to section 874 of the general munici-
pal law stating that IDAs may not grant tax exemptions to a project in
which the project occupant is not publicly disclosed at the time of the
required public hearing for the project.

Section 3: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Each year, local industrial development agencies grant millions of
dollars of financial assistance in the form of tax incentives, payment
in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements,. and others, to projects seeking
assistance. Sometimes, these incentives are given out without any way
for the public to know what company is receiving them. For example, in
the Town of Montgomery in Orange County, the local IDA is offering
incentives to developers of a 1-million square foot warehouse.  Although
the developers have indicated they will pass the benefits of the incen-
tives to the future occupant of the warehouse, they are refusing to
identify which company that will be even though they admit that the
occupant is known to them.

New Yorkers have a right to know what companies are getting publicly-
funded incentives or sales tax exemptions. This bill would prohibit IDAs
from giving incentives or exemptions to a project unless the occupant of
the project is publicly known.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020 - S4667 Referred to Local Government

Assembly

2020 - A7256 Referred to Local Governments

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1655
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  SKOUFIS,  BIAGGI,  KAPLAN, KRUEGER, MAYER -- read
   twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
   Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to preventing the
   use  of  funds,  financial incentives, subsidies or tax exemptions for
   project occupants which are not public
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.    Section  862 of the general municipal law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   (3) NO FUNDS, FINANCIAL INCENTIVES OR SUBSIDIES OF THE AGENCY SHALL BE
 USED IN RESPECT OF ANY PROJECT IN WHICH THE PROJECT OCCUPANT AS  DEFINED
 IN  SECTION  EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED  ONE OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES LAW IS NOT
 PUBLICLY DISCLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLIC  HEARING  FOR  THE  PROJECT
 REQUIRED  BY  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE-A OF
 THIS TITLE.
   § 2. Section 874 of the general municipal law is amended by  adding  a
 new subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   (13)  NO TAX EXEMPTIONS SHALL BE GRANTED TO ANY PROJECT IF THE PROJECT
 OCCUPANT AS DEFINED IN  SECTION  EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED  ONE  OF  THE  PUBLIC
 AUTHORITIES  LAW  IS  NOT  PUBLICLY  DISCLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLIC
 HEARING FOR THE PROJECT REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  SECTION  EIGHT
 HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE-A OF THIS TITLE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05814-01-1

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S1655

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government Committee

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Co-Sponsors

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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senate Bill S1655

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Co-Sponsors

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1655 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments