What's happening
This bill establishes annual Empire State Games and creates an advisory council to oversee their funding, management, and locations.
Why it matters
Creates a structured, statewide annual sporting event. By mandating summer, winter, senior, and handicapped competitions, the bill aims to foster inclusivity, community engagement, and statewide pride, as well as provide opportunities for athletes of all backgrounds and abilities.
Prioritizes sustainable funding and partnerships. The legislation directs the responsible office to seek diverse funding sources—including public funds, private gifts, partnerships, and not-for-profit foundations—helping to insulate the games from state budget fluctuations and encourage private investment in public events.
Establishes broad oversight and expert input. The advisory council must include members with expertise in finance, fundraising, and athletics from across New York, ensuring a mix of skills and geographic perspectives; this structure is designed to promote sound management and maximize the games’ reach and impact.
Mandates transparency and regular reporting. With required biannual reports to the governor and legislative leaders, and public recommendations on funding, site selection, and cost projections, the bill seeks to keep the games accountable to taxpayers and responsive to changing circumstances.
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Who cares
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The bill would require the office to conduct the Empire State Games annually, secure funding, select sites and provide facilities and personnel.
Athletes, seniors and athletes with disabilities
The annual games would include summer and winter open competition, senior games and games for athletes with disabilities.
Private donors and potential public/private partners
The bill would direct the office to seek funding through gifts, bequests, public/private partnerships and not-for-profit foundations, alongside appropriations.
Governor and legislative leaders
They would appoint members to a 16-member advisory council charged with recommending how to fund and conduct the games and reporting findings twice a year.
Headline styles
Fund Annual Empire State Games
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
12 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Fund Annual Empire State Games
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor David Carlucci
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4417
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK, PAULIN, MOSLEY, SKOUFIS, RA, SALADINO, ZEBROWSKI, PEOPLES-STOKES, MAGNARELLI, RIVERA, GOTTFRIED, McDONOUGH, GIGLIO, MURRAY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, BARCLAY, BUCHWALD, ENGLEBRIGHT, GARBARINO, LUPARDO, MAGEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to the empire state games
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by adding a new article 8 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 8
EMPIRE STATE GAMES Section 8.01 Empire state games.
8.03 Advisory council.
§ 8.01 Empire state games. 1. The office by and through the commissioner is hereby directed to provide for supporting and conducting the empire state games on an annual basis. Such games shall include, but not be limited to, summer and winter games for open competition, seniors and handicapped games.
2. The office shall exercise its duties pursuant to this article, in consultation with and upon the recommendations of the advisory council established pursuant to section 8.03 of this article.
3. The office in furtherance of the provisions of this article shall:
(a) secure funding for the empire state games. The sources of such funding shall include, but not be limited to, appropriations, gifts, bequests, the establishment of public/private partnerships and the establishment of not-for-profit foundations for such purpose;
(b) determine the site of each type of empire state games; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00531-01-7
A. 4417 2
(c) provide suitable facilities and personnel for the conducting of each type of empire state games.
§ 8.03 Advisory council. 1. The commissioner shall establish an advisory council on the empire state games to research and provide recommendations for the most efficient and effective manner of conducting the empire state games.
2. The advisory council shall be composed of sixteen members appointed as follows: (a) eight members shall be appointed by the commissioner, (b) two members shall be appointed by the governor, (c) two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, (d) two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, (e) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate, and (f) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The members of the advisory council shall have expertise in finance, fundraising and/or athletics. The appointees shall be broadly representative of the geographic areas of the state. Members of the advisory council shall receive from state funds no compensation for their services nor their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties; provided, however, such members may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties if such reimbursement is provided by a private source.
3. The advisory council may request and shall receive from the office such facilities, resources and data as it may need to properly carry out its powers and duties pursuant to this article.
4. The advisory council shall advise the office on all aspects of the conducting and funding of the empire state games, including, but not limited to:
(a) public and private sources of funding;
(b) the establishment of a not-for-profit foundation formed specifically to fund the empire state games;
(c) the establishment of public/private partnerships to provide funding for any portion of the empire state games;
(d) suitable locations for the conducting of the empire state games;
(e) a determination of the total projected costs of the empire state games;
(f) alternative sources of funding if state appropriations therefor are reduced or eliminated;
(g) determinations of the economic viability and costs of conducting the empire state games in each of the various regions of the state; and
(h) a determination of the means by which to make the empire state games the most economically viable to the state and its residents.
5. The advisory council shall meet not less than three times each calendar year. Furthermore, the council shall report its findings on or before the first day of January and July to the governor, the office, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the members of the senate committee on cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation, and the members of the assembly committee on tourism, parks, arts and sports development.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.