Assembly Bill A3794

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3794
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DURSO -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the legislative law and the executive law,  in  relation
   to establishing a temporary moratorium on unfunded mandates
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited  as  the  "Mandate
 Relief Act".
   §  2.   The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 51-a to
 read as follows:
   § 51-A. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON UNFUNDED MANDATES. 1.  DEFINITIONS. AS
 USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEAN-
 INGS:
   (A) "LOCAL GOVERNMENT" MEANS A COUNTY,  CITY,  TOWN,  VILLAGE,  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT, OR SPECIAL DISTRICT.
   (B)  "NET  ADDITIONAL COST" MEANS THE COST OR COSTS INCURRED OR ANTIC-
 IPATED TO BE INCURRED WITHIN A ONE YEAR PERIOD BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT  IN
 PERFORMING  OR  ADMINISTERING  ANY  PROGRAM,  PROJECT, OR ACTIVITY AFTER
 SUBTRACTING THEREFROM ANY REVENUES RECEIVED OR RECEIVABLE BY SUCH  LOCAL
 GOVERNMENT  IN RELATION TO SUCH PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR ACTIVITY, INCLUDING
 BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) FEES CHARGED TO THE RECIPIENTS OF SUCH PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR ACTIV-
 ITY;
   (II) STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS RECEIVED FOR  SUCH  PROGRAM,  PROJECT,  OR
 ACTIVITY; AND
   (III)  AN  OFFSETTING  SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE DIMINUTION OR ELIMI-
 NATION OF ANY  OTHER  PROGRAM,  PROJECT,  OR  ACTIVITY  THAT  STATE  LAW
 REQUIRES SUCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE OR UNDERTAKE.
   (C) "UNFUNDED MANDATE" MEANS:
   (I)  ANY  STATE  LAW  THAT  REQUIRES  A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE OR
 UNDERTAKE ANY NEW PROGRAM, PROJECT OR ACTIVITY THAT RESULTS IN AN ANNUAL

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02473-01-5
              

 A. 3794                             2
 
 NET ADDITIONAL COST TO ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EXCESS  OF  TEN  THOUSAND
 DOLLARS  OR AN AGGREGATE ANNUAL NET ADDITIONAL COST TO ALL LOCAL GOVERN-
 MENTS WITHIN THE STATE IN EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS; OR
   (II) ANY STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE A HIGH-
 ER  LEVEL  OF  SERVICE  OR  FUNDING  FOR AN EXISTING PROGRAM, PROJECT OR
 ACTIVITY THAT RESULTS IN AN ANNUAL NET  ADDITIONAL  COST  TO  ANY  LOCAL
 GOVERNMENT  IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS OR AN AGGREGATE ANNUAL NET
 ADDITIONAL COST TO ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITHIN THE STATE IN  EXCESS  OF
 ONE MILLION DOLLARS; OR
   (III)  ANY STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO GRANT ANY NEW
 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION OR THAT BROADENS THE ELIGIBILITY OR INCREASES THE
 DOLLAR AMOUNT OF ANY EXISTING PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION, ON  PROPERTY  THAT
 OTHERWISE  WOULD  HAVE  GENERATED REVENUE UNDER THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX
 RATE OF SUCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS  IN  ANY
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR IN EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS STATEWIDE; OR
   (IV) ANY STATE LAW WITH A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE LIKE-
 LY  HAVE  THE EFFECT OF RAISING PROPERTY TAXES IN EXCESS OF TEN THOUSAND
 DOLLARS IN ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR IN  EXCESS  OF  ONE  MILLION  DOLLARS
 STATEWIDE.
   2.  MORATORIUM ON UNFUNDED MANDATES. FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING
 THE JANUARY NEXT SUCCEEDING THE EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS  SECTION,  AND
 NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, UNFUNDED MANDATES SHALL NOT
 BE ENACTED.
   3. EXEMPTIONS. A STATE LAW SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED AN UNFUNDED MANDATE
 WHERE SUCH LAW:
   (A) IS REQUIRED BY A COURT ORDER OR JUDGMENT;
   (B) IS PROVIDED AT THE OPTION OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNDER A LAW THAT
 IS PERMISSIVE RATHER THAN MANDATORY;
   (C) RESULTS FROM THE PASSAGE OF A HOME RULE MESSAGE  WHEREBY  A  LOCAL
 GOVERNMENT REQUESTS AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM OR SERVICE SPECI-
 FIED  IN THE STATUTE, AND THE STATUTE IMPOSES COSTS ONLY UPON THAT LOCAL
 GOVERNMENT WHICH  REQUESTS  THE  AUTHORITY  TO  IMPOSE  THE  PROGRAM  OR
 SERVICE;
   (D) IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE OR EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT IMPLEMENTS A FEDER-
 AL  LAW  OR  REGULATION  AND  RESULTS FROM COSTS MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT TO BE BORNE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UNLESS THE STATUTE OR  EXECU-
 TIVE  ORDER  RESULTS  IN  COSTS  WHICH  EXCEED THE COSTS MANDATED BY THE
 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT;
   (E) IS IMPOSED ON BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ENTITIES  IN  THE
 SAME OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES;
   (F)  REPEALS  OR  REVISES  A STATE LAW TO EASE AN EXISTING REQUIREMENT
 THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE OR  UNDERTAKE  A  PROGRAM,  PROJECT,  OR
 ACTIVITY,  OR REAPPORTIONS THE COSTS OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERN-
 MENTS; OR
   (G) IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT AGAINST  AN  IMMEDIATE  THREAT  TO  PUBLIC
 HEALTH OR SAFETY.
   § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 50-a to read
 as follows:
   § 50-A. REPORT ON UNFUNDED MANDATES. (1) THE COMPTROLLER, IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, SHALL ISSUE A REPORT
 ON  THE ANNUAL FISCAL IMPACT ENACTED STATE LEGISLATION HAS ON THE REVEN-
 UES AND EXPENSES OF LOCAL MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN THE STATE.
   (2) THE REPORT ISSUED BY THE COMPTROLLER SHALL INCLUDE, AT MINIMUM:
   (I) ANNUAL EXPENSES OF EACH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IN THE STATE ATTRIB-
 UTABLE TO STATEWIDE LEGISLATION ENACTED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE;
 A. 3794                             3
 
   (II) AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT THE TEMPORARY UNFUNDED MANDATE  MORATO-
 RIUM,  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION FIFTY-ONE-A OF THE LEGISLATIVE
 LAW, HAD ON LOCAL MUNICIPAL CORPORATION REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES; AND
   (III)  RECOMMENDATIONS  AS  TO  WHETHER THE TEMPORARY UNFUNDED MANDATE
 MORATORIUM ENACTED PURSUANT TO SECTION FIFTY-ONE-A  OF  THE  LEGISLATIVE
 LAW SHALL BE EXTENDED, MADE PERMANENT, OR ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.
   (3)  THE COMPTROLLER SHALL PROVIDE A FINAL COPY OF THE REPORT REQUIRED
 BY THIS SECTION TO THE LEGISLATURE NO LATER THAN THE  FIRST  OF  JANUARY
 FOURTH  SUCCEEDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND SHALL PUBLISH
 A FULL COPY OF THE REPORT FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW  ON  THE  COMPTROLLER'S
 OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.