Senate Bill S10710

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10710
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                            September 30, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to  establish-
   ing  the  New  York  flight grant program; and making an appropriation
   therefor
 
   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 29 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 29
                       NEW YORK FLIGHT GRANT PROGRAM
 SECTION 550. NEW YORK FLIGHT GRANT PROGRAM.
   § 550. NEW YORK FLIGHT GRANT PROGRAM. 1. (A) THE EMPIRE STATE DEVELOP-
 MENT CORPORATION SHALL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT THE NEW  YORK  FLIGHT  GRANT
 PROGRAM,  WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, A PROCESS BY WHICH
 ELIGIBLE ENTITIES SHALL APPLY FOR  GRANTS  TO  UTILIZE  MINIMUM  REVENUE
 GUARANTEES  TO  ATTRACT  NEW,  DIRECT FLIGHTS AND SERVICE TO AIRPORTS IN
 THIS STATE.
   (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL:
   (I) ADOPT PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM;
   (II) PROMULGATE A LIST OF QUALIFYING EXPENSES;
   (III) PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING THROUGH COORDINATION
 WITH RELEVANT TRADE GROUPS AND  BY  INTEGRATION  INTO  THE  DEPARTMENT'S
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS; AND
   (IV) ADOPT MEASURABLE GOALS, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND AN AUDIT STRAT-
 EGY TO ASSESS THE UTILIZATION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM.
   2.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE TERM "ELIGIBLE ENTITIES"
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE  LIMITED  TO,  A  MUNICIPALITY,  A  GOVERNMENT
 ORGANIZATION OR A COMMUNITY NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
   3. THIS ARTICLE SHALL NOT APPLY TO AIRPORTS LOCATED WITHIN CITIES WITH
 A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE.
   §  2.  The  sum  of  fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), or so much
 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the empire  state
 development  corporation  from  any  moneys in the state treasury in the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16353-01-6
 S. 10710                            2
 
 general fund to the credit of the state purposes account for the initial
 capital of the New  York  flight  grant  program  in  carrying  out  the
 provisions  of  this  act.  Such  sum  shall be payable on the audit and
 warrant  of  the  state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved in
 the manner provided by law. No  expenditure  shall  be  made  from  this
 appropriation until a certificate of approval of availability shall have
 been issued by the director of the budget and filed with the state comp-
 troller  and a copy filed with the chair of the senate finance committee
 and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee. Such certificate
 may be amended from time to time by the director of  the  budget  and  a
 copy  of  each such amendment shall be filed with the state comptroller,
 the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the  assembly
 ways and means committee.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.