S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3059
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. FALL -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
 
 AN ACT to direct the department of economic  development  to  conduct  a
   study regarding increasing public access to museums in New York state
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Study. The department of economic development, in  conjunc-
 tion  with  the  empire state development corporation, the department of
 education, the office of parks, recreation  and  historic  preservation,
 the  department  of environmental conservation, the department of state,
 the New York city department of cultural  affairs,  the  New  York  city
 parks  department, and the New York state council on the arts, is hereby
 directed to conduct a comprehensive study on increasing public access to
 museums in New York state. The museums that shall be identified in  such
 study  shall  include,  but  not  be  limited  to the American Museum of
 Natural History, Brooklyn Botanic Garden,  Brooklyn  Academy  of  Music,
 Brooklyn  Children's  Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New
 York, New York Botanical Garden, New York Hall of Science, Staten Island
 Museum, Staten Island Zoo, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wave Hill,  Bronx
 Zoo,  Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens
 Florham Park Zoo. Such study shall include, but not be limited to:
   1. Taking a census of such museums as at the end of  the  fiscal  year
 2018,  including  information  on the size, including but not limited to
 total land area, square footage and number of buildings,  rent  actually
 paid  or  the  value  of  the rent forgiven, hours of operation, visitor
 statistics,  including  attendance  figures  calculated  using   tickets
 presented  to  cashiers  and  reported  as  complimentary,  full fare or
 discounted, and individuals exempted from paying fees such as  students,
 professors  and teachers, military or persons with disabilities, and zip
 codes of visitors.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05458-01-3
 A. 3059                             2
              

 
   2. Identifying  the  2018  dollar  benefits,  directly  from  taxpayer
 dollars  and  city  and state agencies' budgets, and indirectly from the
 value of any form of free rent, including but not  limited  to  unstated
 amounts  and  amounts above $1 paid per annum as provided for in laws or
 agreements, real estate or other tax forgiveness.
   3.  Identifying  the market value of each museum's 2018 investment and
 restricted and unrestricted endowment portfolios.
   4. Providing information, including but not limited to, the provisions
 of controlling laws and contracts pertaining to such museums' initial or
 amended incorporating purpose and obligation to provide  free  admission
 and/or  instruction,  laws  appropriating  public funds for operating or
 capital costs, as well as offering opinions to inform the legislature as
 to whether such museums' policies and practices are in  compliance  with
 controlling laws and contracts and how to increase public access to such
 museums  and  the  continued  accessibility  and availability to all New
 Yorkers in consideration for their financial support  of  such  museums,
 and  to  craft  a reporting system that ensures effective and answerable
 oversight of such museums' compliance with  statutes,  codes,  laws  and
 complying agreements.
   §  2. Report. A report of the findings of such study, opinions, recom-
 mendations, and any proposed legislation  necessary  to  implement  such
 recommendations  shall  be filed with the governor, the temporary presi-
 dent of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly no  later  than  one
 year after the effective date of this act.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3059--B
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. FALL, ANDERSON, DARLING -- read once and referred
   to  the  Committee  on  Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development --
   recommitted to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Devel-
   opment in accordance  with  Assembly  Rule  3,  sec.  2  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to  said  committee  -- again reported from said committee with amend-
   ments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to direct the department of economic  development  to  conduct  a
   study regarding increasing public access to museums in New York city
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Study. a.   The  department  of  economic  development,  in
 conjunction  with  the empire state development corporation, the depart-
 ment of education, the office of parks, recreation and historic  preser-
 vation,  the department of environmental conservation, the department of
 state, the New York city department of cultural affairs,  the  New  York
 city  parks  department,  and the New York state council on the arts, is
 hereby directed to conduct a comprehensive study  on  increasing  public
 access to museums in New York city.
   b.  The  museums that shall be identified in such study operate as and
 shall include, but not be limited to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural
 History,  Brooklyn  Botanic  Garden, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn
 Children's Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York,  New
 York  Botanical  Garden, New York Hall of Science, Staten Island Museum,
 Staten Island Zoo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wave Hill, Bronx Zoo,
 Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Flor-
 ham Park Zoo.
   § 2. Scope. The study  shall  focus  on  current  barriers  to  public
 access,  historical  access  by  the  public, laws governing free public
 access, the  financial  and  operational  impact  of  increasing  public
 access,  financial  support  received  by  museums from governmental and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05458-06-4
              

 A. 3059--B                          2
 
 other entities, and changes in such financial support since the creation
 of these museums. To that end, the topics to be studied  shall  include,
 but not be limited to:
   a.  the financial status of such museums, including assets, sources of
 income, endowment portfolios, and expenses;
   b. current policies and practices of  such  museums  regarding  public
 access, with a focus on laws regarding free access and admission;
   c. historic and current mission, purpose, and operations of such muse-
 ums;
   d.  enabling  legislation  and  other statutory requirements regarding
 free public access and free admission;
   e. historical changes in free access by the public; and
   f. historical changes in support  by  various  governmental  entities,
 including operational funding, use and value of land and buildings owned
 by the state or the city of New York.
   §  3.  Report  and  recommendations.  A report of the findings of such
 study shall be filed with the governor, the temporary president  of  the
 senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the
 effective date of this act.  The report shall include recommendations on
 increasing public access, including expanding free public access, and an
 analysis  of  what  measures will need to be taken to ensure such access
 while not undermining the operations or missions of the museums.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.