S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  7089--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
   and  Commissions  --  recommitted  to  the  Committee on Corporations,
   Authorities and Commissions in accordance with Senate Rule 6,  sec.  8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend chapter 188 of the laws of 1978, relating to incorporat-
   ing the Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society  of  Bellerose,  Queens
   county,  New  York, in relation to providing for the powers and duties
   of such society
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Chapter 188 of the laws of 1978, relating to incorporating
 the Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society of Bellerose, Queens  county,
 New  York,  section  6  as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of 1981, is
 amended to read as follows:
   Section 1. Incorporation; membership.  A  not-for-corporation  by  the
 name  of  "Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society of Bellerose, Inc." is
 hereby created.   [It shall be composed  of  such  persons  eligible  to
 membership  therein  as  hereinafter  provided  as  shall (a) notify the
 membership secretary of the Colonial Farmhouse  Restoration  Society  of
 Bellerose,  an  educational organization, in writing prior to the organ-
 ization meeting hereinafter provided for the corporation created by this
 act of their desire to become members, or (b) shall attend such  meeting
 or  an  adjournment  thereof,  and  also such persons so eligible as may
 thereafter become members of such corporation pursuant to its by-laws.
   § 2. Persons eligible to membership. Anyone, regardless  of  place  of
 residency,  shall  be eligible for membership in the corporation created
 by this act, except they shall not be eligible to hold office unless  at
 least  eighteen years of age and bona fide residents of Queens or Nassau
 Counties, nor eligible to vote unless at least eighteen years old.]  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11714-03-2
              

 S. 7089--A                          2
 
 CORPORATION  SHALL  NOT HAVE ANY MEMBERS. ANY PERSON WHO WAS A MEMBER OF
 THE CORPORATION PRIOR TO THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO SHALL NO LONG-
 ER BE A MEMBER.
   §  [3]  2.  Purposes.  The  purposes  of  such corporation shall be to
 preserve and restore the Colonial vintage farmhouse on  the  grounds  of
 what  formerly  constituted  the  hospital farm of Creedmoor Psychiatric
 Center, together with the surrounding grounds and outbuildings[; and the
 Society shall endeavor to recreate and  demonstrate  in  an  educational
 format,  the  lifestyle  of  agrarian  civilization as it existed in the
 eighteenth century in eastern  Queens  County  for  current  and  future
 generations;  and  it shall foster educational programs in horticulture,
 agriculture, conservation, ecology, and  other  disciplines  that  would
 lead  to  an  increase in the public's appreciation and awareness of the
 unique qualities of the  site  and  building  of  the  Creedmoor  Farm.]
 REPRESENTING  ONE  OF  THE  LONGEST CONTINUALLY FARMED SITES IN NEW YORK
 STATE DATING BACK TO 1697; AND THE CORPORATION  SHALL  ENDEAVOR  TO  (A)
 RECREATE  AND  DEMONSTRATE  IN  AN  EDUCATIONAL FORMAT, THE LIFESTYLE OF
 AGRARIAN CIVILIZATION AS IT EXISTED IN QUEENS COUNTY  AND  IN  NEW  YORK
 CITY  FOR  CURRENT  AND  FUTURE  GENERATIONS,  INCLUDING  SHOWCASING THE
 300-YEAR HISTORY AND FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE AS A WAY OF LIFE IN NEW  YORK
 CITY;  (B)  PRESERVE, RESTORE, AND INTERPRET ITS FARMLAND, INCLUDING ITS
 HISTORY  AND  OWNER'S  LIFESTYLES;  (C)  PROVIDE  AND  HOST  EDUCATIONAL
 PROGRAMS,  PUBLIC  EVENTS,  AND  MUSEUM SERVICES TO ITS VISITORS AND THE
 GENERAL PUBLIC, INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  QUEENS'
 AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL PAST AS NEW YORK CITY GREW AROUND IT; AND
 (D)  SERVE  AS A RESOURCE CONNECTING PEOPLE TO AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVI-
 RONMENT, CREATING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT BIODIVERSITY, HEALTH  AND
 WELLNESS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PRESERVING LOCAL HISTORY.
   § [4] 3. Powers and duties. Such corporation shall have all the powers
 of  a  not-for-profit  CHARITABLE corporation, and the provisions of law
 relating to not-for-profit CHARITABLE corporations shall apply  to  such
 corporation except where they conflict with the provisions of this act.
   §  [5] 4. [Organization meeting; by-laws. The general secretary of the
 Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society of Bellerose shall call a meeting
 for the organization of such corporation to be held not later than three
 months after this act takes effect, notice of which shall  be  given  by
 him  by  publication  in  the  Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society of
 Bellerose membership newsletter and also by publication of notice there-
 of in one or more newspapers having  a  general  circulation  in  Queens
 county,  and  such publication shall be effected at least ten days prior
 to the date of such meeting. At such meeting or any adjournment  thereof
 the  members  of  such corporation present shall adopt by-laws and elect
 officers and directors to serve until the  first  annual  meeting  which
 shall  be  held on a date to be fixed by the by-laws. Any member failing
 to comply with the by-laws, rules or regulations duly  adopted  by  such
 corporation  shall be subject to suspension and expulsion in such manner
 as may be provided for in such by-laws. Any  member  who  ceases  to  be
 such,  voluntarily or otherwise, shall forfeit all interest in the prop-
 erty of such corporation.] BY-LAWS. THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD  OF  DIREC-
 TORS  SHALL  BE  RESPONSIBLE FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING THE BY-LAWS OF
 THE CORPORATION.
   § [6] 5. Control and disposal of funds and property. The  control  and
 disposal of the funds and property of the said corporation, the exercise
 of  its  powers,  and the management and control of its affairs shall be
 vested in and exercised by a board of directors which shall  consist  of
 [seventeen  members of such corporation, to wit: the president, the vice
 S. 7089--A                          3

 president, the general secretary, the financial secretary,  the  member-
 ship  secretary,  the treasurer, the archivist, the sergeant-at-arms and
 nine other members having the title of director.] NOT LESS THAN NINE AND
 NOT MORE THAN TWENTY-ONE MEMBERS OF SUCH CORPORATION, TO WIT: THE PRESI-
 DENT,  THE  VICE  PRESIDENT,  THE SECRETARY, THE TREASURER, AND NOT LESS
 THAN FIVE AND NOT MORE THAN SEVENTEEN OTHER MEMBERS HAVING THE TITLE  OF
 DIRECTOR.  Such  officers  and  directors shall be elected at the annual
 meeting of such corporation in the manner prescribed by its by-laws.  No
 part  of  the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit
 of any member, trustee, director, officer of  the  corporation,  or  any
 private  individual, except that reasonable compensation may be paid for
 services rendered to or for the corporation,  and  no  member,  trustee,
 officer  of  the corporation or any private individual shall be entitled
 to share in the distribution of any of the corporate assets  on  dissol-
 ution of the corporation.
   No  substantial  part  of  the activities of the organization shall be
 carrying on propaganda, or  otherwise  attempting  to  influence  legis-
 lation,  except  as  otherwise provided by Internal Revenue Code section
 501(h), or participating in, or intervening in, including  the  publica-
 tion  or distribution of statements, any political campaign on behalf of
 any candidate for public office.
   In the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets and  property
 of  the corporation shall, after necessary expenses thereof, be distrib-
 uted to such organizations as shall qualify under section  501(c)(3)  of
 the Internal Revenue Code of nineteen hundred fifty-four, as amended or,
 to  another organization to be used in such manner as in the judgment of
 a justice of the supreme court of the state of New York will best accom-
 plish the general purposes for which this corporation was formed.
   § [7] 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately,  provided,  however,  the
 amendments  to  chapter  188 of the laws of 1978, made by section one of
 this act, shall not interfere with any right, liability,  or  obligation
 of the corporation as created by such chapter.