Authorizes Native American nations and tribes to make payments to municipal governments hosting tribal casinos

Summary of provisions

Section 1 adds a new subdivision d to § 12 of the Executive Law to allow that any municipal government that hosts a tribal casino may receive payments directly from an Indian nation or tribe. It further provides that any such payments made shall be deemed to have been made in satis- faction of the tribal-state compact, and provides that all such payments are to be deducted from the amount the municipality would otherwise receive under SFL § 99-h.

Section 2 amends subdivision 2 of State Finance Law § 99-h to authorize the payments of casino monies under a tribal-state compact directly to a host municipality.

Section 3 adds a new subdivision 2-a to State Finance Law § 99-h requires any host community receiving funds pursuant to a tribal-state compact directly from an Indian nation or tribe to inform the State Comptroller of such payment within 7 days. It also makes it clear that any such payments (1) satisfy the obligations of the Indian nation or tribe under the state-nation compact, and (2) that any such payments made directly by an Indian nation or tribe to a municipal government shall be deducted from the amounts the state would otherwise be required to pay the municipality under SFL § 99-h.

Section 4 provides for an immediate effective date.

Justification

The State of New York and the Seneca Nation of Indians are currently in a dispute over the terms of the State-Nation gaming compact. As a result, the Seneca Nation Tribal Council recently voted to stop making payments to the state under the state-nation gaming compact, claiming that the state has breached the agreement, which gives the Seneca Nation exclusive rights to operate gaming facilities in Western New York.

Unfortunately, the municipalities hosting the Seneca Nation's casinos have become innocent victims of this dispute, since a portion of the funds generated at those casinos ultimately go to the municipalities that host them. Those funds are being denied to the host municipalities while New York State and the Seneca Nation try to resolve their differ- ences, meaning that the local governments are not receiving necessary

funds that they are otherwise entitled to and desperately need in these difficult economic times.

This legislation represents a compromise to avoid economic harm to host communities. It authorizes an Indian Nation or tribe, such as the Seneca Nation of Indians, to pay host municipalities directly while they work with New York State to resolve their differences.

Where an Indian Nation or tribe makes direct payments to a host munici- pality, the bill requires the host municipality to notify the State Comptroller in order to ensure that Nation receives credit from the State for making such payments. It also provides that any municipality receiving direct payments would have such amounts deducted from the amounts they would otherwise be due from the State.

By altering state law to permit direct payments from an Indian casino to a host community, this legislation is intended to protect host munici- palities and the residents of these communities. Its enactment into law will ensure that they do not suffer while the State and an Indian Nation or tribe resolve a dispute that the host municipality is not a party to.

This compromise will protect the Western New York economy by ensuring that payments due as a result of locally generated casino dollars are not held up due to the inability of the state's leadership in Albany to resolve their dispute over the terms of the gaming compact with the Seneca Nation of Indians.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the State. The monies that will go to local governments that host Indian casinos if this bill becomes law are monies that they are otherwise entitled to receive under current state law.

Effective date

Takes effect immediately, with provisions.