S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7083
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic  Devel-
   opment and Small Business
 
 AN  ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to establish-
   ing the New York state Ireland trade commission

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  economic  development law is amended by adding a new
 article 10-A to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 10-A
                  NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION
 SECTION 227. NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION.
   § 227. NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION. 1. (A) THERE IS HEREBY
 ESTABLISHED THE NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION. THE  COMMISSION
 SHALL CONSIST OF TWENTY-THREE MEMBERS, TO BE APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:
   (I)(1)  FOUR MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY
 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, TWO  OF  WHOM  SHALL    HAVE  CURRENT  OR  PAST
 INVOLVEMENT  IN  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS OR SHALL HAVE
 INTEREST IN THE WELL-BEING OF TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE STATE AND  THE
 ISLAND  OF  IRELAND, AND TWO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE APPOINTED BY
 THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, BOTH OF WHOM SHALL  HAVE  CURRENT  OR
 PAST  INVOLVEMENT  IN  ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS OR SHALL
 HAVE INTEREST IN THE WELL-BEING OF TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE STATE AND
 THE ISLAND OF IRELAND.
   (2) FOUR MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER  OF
 THE  ASSEMBLY,  TWO  OF  WHOM  SHALL HAVE CURRENT OR PAST INVOLVEMENT IN
 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS OR SHALL HAVE INTEREST  IN  THE
 WELL-BEING  OF  TRADE  RELATIONS  BETWEEN  THE  STATE  AND THE ISLAND OF
 IRELAND; AND TWO MEMBERS OF THE  ASSEMBLY  SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  BY  THE
 MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, BOTH OF WHOM SHALL HAVE CURRENT OR PAST
 INVOLVEMENT  IN  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS OR SHALL HAVE
 INTEREST IN THE WELL-BEING OF TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE STATE AND  THE
 ISLAND OF IRELAND.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11410-01-3
 S. 7083                             2
 
   (3)  THE  LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL SERVE DURING THE
 TWO-YEAR LEGISLATIVE TERM IN WHICH THE APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE.
   (II) ELEVEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVER-
 NOR.    SIX MEMBERS SHALL SERVE FOR A TERM OF THREE YEARS AND FIVE SHALL
 SERVE FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS. SUCH ELEVEN  MEMBERS  APPOINTED  BY  THE
 GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE: THE COMMISSIONER OR THEIR DESIGNEE; AT LEAST ONE
 REPRESENTATIVE  FROM  A  PUBLIC  INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION; AND AT
 LEAST TWO PUBLIC MEMBERS REPRESENTING IRISH AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
   (B) ALL APPOINTMENTS SHALL BE MADE NO LATER THAN NINETY DAYS FOLLOWING
 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. A VACANCY IN THE MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE
 COMMISSION  SHALL  BE FILLED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL APPOINT-
 MENT WAS MADE.
   (C) MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL SERVE WITHOUT COMPENSATION BUT MAY
 BE REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES ACTUALLY INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR
 DUTIES, WITHIN THE LIMIT OF FUNDS  APPROPRIATED  TO  THE  COMMISSION  OR
 OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO IT FOR ITS PURPOSES.
   (D)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  MEET  AND  HOLD HEARINGS AT THE PLACES IT
 DESIGNATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
   2. THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SHALL DESIGNATE TWO CO-CHAIR-
 PERSONS FROM AMONG THEIR APPOINTMENTS, ONE EACH FROM  THE  MAJORITY  AND
 MINORITY  PARTY;  AND  THE  SPEAKER  OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL DESIGNATE TWO
 CO-CHAIRPERSONS FROM AMONG THEIR APPOINTMENTS, ONE EACH FROM THE MAJORI-
 TY AND MINORITY PARTY. A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL
 CONSTITUTE A QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF  THE BUSINESS OF THE  COMMIS-
 SION.
   3.  (A)  THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION
 SHALL BE TO:
   (I) ADVANCE BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN THE STATE  AND  THE
 ISLAND OF IRELAND;
   (II)  INITIATE JOINT ACTION ON POLICY ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST TO THE
 STATE AND THE ISLAND OF IRELAND;
   (III) PROMOTE BUSINESS AND ACADEMIC EXCHANGES BETWEEN  THE  STATE  AND
 THE ISLAND OF IRELAND;
   (IV)  ENCOURAGE  MUTUAL  ECONOMIC  SUPPORT  BETWEEN  THE STATE AND THE
 ISLAND OF IRELAND;
   (V) ENCOURAGE MUTUAL INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE STATE AND
 THE ISLAND OF IRELAND; AND
   (VI) ADDRESS SUCH OTHER ISSUES AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION.
   (B) THE COMMISSION SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS, RESULTS, AND RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS TO THE GOVERNOR, AND THE  LEGISLATURE,  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  OF  ITS
 INITIAL  ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AND BY FEBRUARY FIRST OF EACH SUCCEEDING
 YEAR FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR. THE REPORT SHALL
 BE IN WRITING AND INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE  BY  THE
 COMMISSION TO EFFECTUATE ITS PURPOSE, AS PROVIDED BY THIS SECTION.
   4.  THE NEW YORK STATE IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO
 RAISE FUNDS, THROUGH DIRECT SOLICITATION OR  OTHER  FUNDRAISING  EVENTS,
 ALONE, OR WITH OTHER GROUPS, AND ACCEPT GIFTS, GRANTS, AND BEQUESTS FROM
 INDIVIDUALS,   CORPORATIONS,  FOUNDATIONS,  GOVERNMENTAL  AGENCIES,  AND
 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS, TO DEFRAY THE COMMIS-
 SION'S ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES AND TO CARRY  OUT  ITS  PURPOSES  AS  SET
 FORTH  IN  THIS  SECTION. THE FUNDS, GIFTS, GRANTS, OR BEQUESTS RECEIVED
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEPOSITED IN AN ACCOUNT IN THE GENERAL
 FUND AND ALLOCATED AND ANNUALLY APPROPRIATED TO THE DEPARTMENT TO DEFRAY
 THE COMMISSION'S ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES AND CARRY OUT ITS PURPOSES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.