Requires all goods, except food, sold at retail in state parks, recreational facilities and historic sites to be produced in the United States

4 Co-sponsors

• John J. Bonacic
• William J. Larkin Jr.
• Roy J. McDonald
• Michael H. Ranzenhofer

BILL NUMBER:S6452

Title of bill

An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to requiring goods sold at retail at state parks, recreational facilities and historic sites to be produced or manufactured in the United States

Purpose

Requires all goods, except food, sold at retail in state parks, recreational facilities and historic sites to be produced in the United States.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 adds a new section 13.08 to the parks, recreation and historic preservation law to require all goods, except food, sold at retail in state parks, recreational facilities and historic sites to be produced in the United States. Section 2 provides the effective date.

Justification

Over 56 million people visit New York's parks, recreational facilities and historic sites each year. These facilities are home to gift shops selling all manner of products. It is disheartening to realize, however, that the vast majority of these product sales benefit workers in foreign countries, particularly China, since very little of the products sold are produced domestically. In fact, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the U.S. China trade deficit has eliminated or displaced nearly 2.8 million U.S. jobs since 2001, about 2% of all jobs lost in that period. While these job losses have hit all 50 states, New York has suffered some of the biggest net losses in terms of the total number of jobs displaced. With both the national and state unemployment rates remaining stubbornly high, government should be doing everything possible to encourage job creation right here at home.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.