Assembly Bill A6295

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6295
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  R. CARROLL  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
 
 AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in  relation  to  the
   establishment  of  regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks accessi-
   bility grants

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
 new article 6 to read as follows:
                                 ARTICLE 6
         REGIONAL ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND PARKS ACCESSIBILITY
                                  GRANTS
 SECTION 6.01. DEFINITIONS.
         6.03. ESTABLISHMENT  OF  ARTS,  CULTURAL  AFFAIRS,   AND   PARKS
                 REGIONS.
         6.05. REGIONAL  ARTS,  CULTURAL  AFFAIRS,  AND PARKS COMPETITIVE
                 ACCESSIBILITY GRANTS.
   § 6.01. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE,  THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1.  "REGIONS" SHALL MEAN THE ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND PARKS REGIONS
 ESTABLISHED IN SECTION 6.03 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2. "REGIONAL COUNCILS" SHALL MEAN  THE  COUNCILS  WHICH  ISSUE  GRANTS
 UNDER SECTION 6.05 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   3.  "ACCESSIBILITY  PROGRAMS"  SHALL  MEAN  PROGRAMS  WHICH: (A) BRING
 FACILITIES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT;  OR
 (B)  IMPROVING THE ABILITY FOR DISABLED PERSONS TO USE AN ORGANIZATION'S
 FACILITIES.
   § 6.03. ESTABLISHMENT OF ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS,  AND  PARKS  REGIONS.
 TEN ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND PARKS REGIONS SHALL BE ESTABLISHED WITH-
 IN THE STATE, ONE FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING REGIONS:
   1. LONG ISLAND (WHICH CONSISTS OF SUFFOLK AND NASSAU COUNTIES);

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08877-01-5
              

 A. 6295                             2
 
   2.  THE  CITY  OF NEW YORK (WHICH CONSISTS OF BRONX, NEW YORK, QUEENS,
 KINGS, AND RICHMOND COUNTIES);
   3.  THE  MID-HUDSON REGION (WHICH CONSISTS OF SULLIVAN, ULSTER, DUTCH-
 ESS, ORANGE, PUTNAM, WESTCHESTER, AND ROCKLAND COUNTIES);
   4. THE SOUTHERN TIER (WHICH CONSISTS OF STEUBEN,  SCHUYLER,  TOMPKINS,
 CHEMUNG, TIOGA, CHENANGO, BROOME, AND DELAWARE COUNTIES);
   5. THE CAPITAL REGION (WHICH CONSISTS OF WARREN, WASHINGTON, SARATOGA,
 SCHENECTADY, RENSSELAER, ALBANY, COLUMBIA, AND GREENE COUNTIES);
   6.  THE  MOHAWK  VALLEY  (WHICH  CONSISTS OF ONEIDA, HERKIMER, FULTON,
 MONTGOMERY, OTSEGO, AND SCHOHARIE COUNTIES);
   7. THE  NORTH  COUNTRY  (WHICH  CONSISTS  OF  CLINTON,  FRANKLIN,  ST.
 LAWRENCE, JEFFERSON, LEWIS, HAMILTON, AND ESSEX COUNTIES);
   8.  THE  CENTRAL  REGION  (WHICH CONSISTS OF OSWEGO, CAYUGA, ONONDAGA,
 MADISON, AND CORTLAND COUNTIES);
   9. THE FINGER LAKES REGION (WHICH CONSISTS OF ORLEANS, MONROE,  WAYNE,
 GENESEE, WYOMING, LIVINGSTON, ONTARIO, SENECA, AND YATES COUNTIES); AND
   10.  THE  WESTERN REGION (WHICH CONSISTS OF NIAGARA, ERIE, CHAUTAUQUA,
 CATTARAUGUS, AND ALLEGANY COUNTIES).
   § 6.05. REGIONAL ARTS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND PARKS COMPETITIVE  ACCES-
 SIBILITY  GRANTS.  1.  THE  GOVERNOR  SHALL, IN EACH REGION, ESTABLISH A
 COUNCIL WHICH SHALL ISSUE COMPETITIVE ACCESSIBILITY  GRANTS  WITHIN  THE
 REGION.  SIX MEMBERS OF EACH REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL BE LOCAL EXPERTS AND
 STAKEHOLDERS FROM ARTS AND  CULTURAL  AFFAIRS  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  PARKS
 ORGANIZATIONS  WITHIN  THE  REGION.  ONE MEMBER OF EACH REGIONAL COUNCIL
 SHALL BE AN EXPERT IN ACCESSIBILITY. EACH REGIONAL  COUNCIL  SHALL  HAVE
 SEVEN  TOTAL  MEMBERS  APPOINTED  TO  SUCH COUNCIL. FIVE MEMBERS OF EACH
 REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND SHALL  SERVE  AT
 THE  PLEASURE OF THE GOVERNOR, ONE MEMBER OF EACH REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL
 BE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF
 THE ASSEMBLY, AND ONE MEMBER OF EACH REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL BE APPOINTED
 BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SERVE AT  THE  PLEASURE  OF
 THE SENATE. ALL MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL COUNCILS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF SECTION SEVENTY-THREE-A OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
   2. THE REGIONAL COUNCILS SHALL, WITH APPROVAL FROM THE GOVERNOR, ISSUE
 COMPETITIVE  ACCESSIBILITY GRANTS TO ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ORGANIZA-
 TIONS AND PARKS ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THEIR REGION FOR  CAPITAL  PROJECTS
 SUCH THAT:
   (A)  IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK REGION, AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF GRANT MONEY IS
 ISSUED TO ORGANIZATIONS WITH OPERATING BUDGETS OF TEN MILLION DOLLARS OR
 MORE AS IS ISSUED TO ORGANIZATIONS WITH OPERATING BUDGETS OF  LESS  THAN
 TEN MILLION DOLLARS; AND
   (B)  IN ALL OTHER REGIONS, AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF GRANT MONEY IS ISSUED TO
 ORGANIZATIONS WITH OPERATING BUDGETS OF FIVE MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE  AS
 IS  ISSUED  TO  ORGANIZATIONS  WITH  OPERATING BUDGETS OF LESS THAN FIVE
 MILLION DOLLARS.
   3. THE REGIONAL COUNCILS SHALL ISSUE COMPETITIVE ACCESSIBILITY  GRANTS
 FOR  IMPLEMENTING  THE  ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS AT THE ORGANIZATION. SUCH
 GRANTS SHALL BE ISSUED BASED ON CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNOR FOR
 SUCH PURPOSE.
   4. NO REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL ISSUE A COMPETITIVE  ACCESSIBILITY  GRANT
 TO  AN ORGANIZATION WHICH HAS RECEIVED A COMPETITIVE ACCESSIBILITY GRANT
 UNDER THIS ARTICLE WITHIN THE PRIOR THREE YEARS.
   5. NO REGIONAL COUNCIL SHALL ISSUE  COMPETITIVE  ACCESSIBILITY  GRANTS
 TOTALING  MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF SUCH COUNCIL'S COMPETITIVE ACCESSI-
 BILITY GRANT MONEY ISSUED IN A CALENDAR YEAR TO PARKS ORGANIZATIONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.