Changes the composition of the board of directors of the Executive Mansion Trust

Title of bill

An act to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to the composition of the board of directors of the Executive Mansion Trust

Purpose

This bill amends the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law (ACAL) to modernize and amend the board composition of the Executive Mansion Trust, a statutory corporation formed to preserve, improve and promote the Executive Mansion.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 of the bill amends ACAL § 54.05 to: (1) increase the number of voting board members of the Executive Mansion Trust from five to fifteen; (2) eliminate as an ex officio board member the Chair of the New York Historical Society; (3) provide for staggered terms of the board members; and (4) makes technical amendments to clarify that the Executive Mansion Trust is a corporation and that members of its governing body are corporate directors.

Section 2 of the bill amends ACAL § 54.17 to make technical amendments to name the members of the Trust as directors.

Section 3 of the bill provides that it would be effective immediately.

Existing law

ACAL § 54.05(2) describes the board composition of the Executive Mansion Trust.

Statement in support

The Executive Mansion, which has served as the residence for New York's Governors and their families since 1875, is of vital historic importance to the State. In 1993, the Legislature created the Executive Mansion Trust (the "Trust") to help preserve, improve and promote the Executive Mansion. To date, however, the Trust has not been utilized.

This bill changes the composition of the Trust's governing board in several ways to facilitate the Trust's use, specifically by:

1. increasing to fifteen the number of voting members, to allow for greater regional diversity;

2. repealing the ex officio directorship of the Chair of the New York State Historical Society, which has no other statutory nexus to the Executive Mansion, and requiring that several directors must possess expertise relevant to the governance of the Trust; and

3. providing that the new board members who shall be appointed by the Governor will serve staggered three year terms.

These changes will allow the Trust to be utilized to its fullest intended purposes, and thereby provide for the preservation, improvement and promotion of the Executive Mansion.

Budget implications

This legislation will have no impact on the state budget.

Effective date

This bill would become effective upon enactment.