Assembly Bill A4519

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4519
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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 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
 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;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08118-01-5
              

 A. 4519                             2
 
   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.