Assembly Bill A9356

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9356
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Economic Development
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the cannabis law, in relation to the cannabis control
   board and the cannabis advisory board
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 7 of the cannabis law are
 amended to read as follows:
   1. The cannabis control board is hereby created and shall consist of a
 chairperson nominated by the governor and with the advice and consent of
 the senate, with one vote, and [four] SIX other voting board members  as
 provided for in subdivision two of this section.
   2.  Appointments.  In  addition to the chairperson, the governor shall
 have [two] FOUR direct appointments to  the  board,  and  the  temporary
 president  of the senate and the speaker of the assembly shall each have
 one direct appointment to the board. Appointments shall be for a term of
 three years each and should, to the extent possible,  be  geographically
 and  demographically representative of the state and communities histor-
 ically affected by the war on drugs. Board members shall be citizens and
 permanent residents of this state. The  chairperson  and  the  remaining
 members of such board shall continue to serve as chairperson and members
 of the board until the expiration of the respective terms for which they
 were appointed. Upon the expiration of such respective terms the succes-
 sors  of  such chairperson and members shall be appointed to serve for a
 term of three years each and until their successors have been  appointed
 and  qualified.  The  members,  except  for  the chairperson, shall when
 performing the work of the board,  be  compensated  at  a  rate  of  two
 hundred sixty dollars per day, and together with an allowance for actual
 and  necessary  expenses  incurred in the discharge of their duties. The
 chairperson shall receive an annual  salary  not  to  exceed  an  amount
 appropriated  therefor  by  the legislature, and their expenses actually
 and necessarily incurred in the performance of  their  official  duties,
 unless  otherwise  provided  by  the  legislature. No member or member's
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14658-01-4
              

 A. 9356                             2
 
 spouse or minor child shall have any interest in an entity regulated  by
 the board.
   §  2.  Subdivisions  2  and  3  of  section 14 of the cannabis law are
 amended to read as follows:
   2. The state cannabis advisory board shall consist of [thirteen] NINE-
 TEEN voting appointed members, along  with  a  representative  from  the
 department  of environmental conservation, the department of agriculture
 and markets, the office of children and family services, the  department
 of labor, the department of health, the division of housing and communi-
 ty  renewal,  the  office  of  addiction  services and supports, and the
 department of education, serving as non-voting ex-officio  members.  The
 governor shall have [seven] ELEVEN appointments, the temporary president
 of  the  senate  and the speaker of the assembly shall each have [three]
 FOUR appointments to the board.  The members shall be appointed to  each
 serve  three year terms and in the event of a vacancy, the vacancy shall
 be filled in the manner of the original appointment for the remainder of
 the term. The appointed members and  representatives  shall  receive  no
 compensation  for  their  services but shall be allowed their actual and
 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as  board
 members.
   3.  Advisory  board  members shall have statewide geographic represen-
 tation that is  balanced  and  diverse  in  its  composition.  Appointed
 members  shall  have  an  expertise  in  public  and  behavioral health,
 substance use disorder treatment, effective rehabilitative treatment for
 adults and juveniles, homelessness and  housing,  economic  development,
 environmental   conservation,   job  training  and  placement,  criminal
 justice, and drug policy. Further,  the  advisory  board  shall  include
 residents  from  communities  most impacted by cannabis prohibition, ONE
 RETAIL LICENSEE, ONE PROCESSOR LICENSEE, ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF ORGANIZED
 LABOR, ONE MICROBUSINESS LICENSEE, ONE DISTRIBUTOR LICENSEE, ONE SERVICE
 DISABLED VETERAN  LICENSEE,  ONE  CULTIVATOR  LICENSEE,  ONE  REGISTERED
 ORGANIZATION  LICENSEE, people with prior drug convictions, the formerly
 incarcerated, and representatives from the  farming  industry,  cannabis
 industry, and organizations serving communities impacted by past federal
 and state drug policies.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.