Create Regional Growth Councils

Section 1. The economic development law is amended by adding a new section 11 to read as follows:

§ 11. Regional economic development councils. 1. The governor shall establish ten regional economic development councils, one for each of the following regions of the state:

(a) Long Island (which consists of Suffolk and Nassau counties);

(b) the city of New York (which consists of Bronx, New York, Queens, Kings, and Richmond counties);

(c) the Mid-Hudson region (which consists of Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland counties);

(d) the Southern tier (which consists of Steuben, Schuyler, Tompkins, Chemung, Tioga, Chenango, Broome, and Delaware counties);

(e) the Capital region (which consists of Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Albany, Columbia, and Greene counties);

(f) the Mohawk valley (which consists of Oneida, Herkimer, Fulton, Montgomery, Otsego, and Schoharie counties);

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

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(g) the North country (which consists of Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Hamilton, and Essex counties);

(h) the Central region (which consists of Oswego, Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, and Cortland counties);

(i) the Finger Lakes region (which consists of Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, and Yates counties); and

(j) the Western region (which consists of Niagara, Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties).

2. Each regional economic development council shall develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth within its region of the state.

3. The members of each regional economic development council shall be local experts and stakeholders from businesses, academia, municipalities and non-governmental organizations within the region. All such members shall be appointed by the governor and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.

4. All members of regional economic development councils shall be subject to the provisions of section seventy-three-a of the public officers law.

§ 2. Subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 73-a of the public officers law, as amended by section 5 of part A of chapter 399 of the laws of 2011, are amended and a new subparagraph (iv) is added to read as follows:

(ii) officers and employees of statewide elected officials, officers and employees of state departments, boards, bureaus, divisions, commissions, councils or other state agencies, who receive annual compensation in excess of the filing rate established by paragraph (l) of this subdivision or who hold policy-making positions, as annually determined by the appointing authority and set forth in a written instrument which shall be filed with the joint commission on public ethics established by section ninety-four of the executive law during the month of February, provided, however, that the appointing authority shall amend such written instrument after such date within thirty days after the undertaking of policy-making responsibilities by a new employee or any other employee whose name did not appear on the most recent written instrument; [and]

(iii) members or directors of public authorities, other than multistate authorities, public benefit corporations and commissions at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor, and employees of such authorities, corporations and commissions who receive annual compensation in excess of the filing rate established by paragraph (l) of this subdivision or who hold policy-making positions, as determined annually by the appointing authority and set forth in a written instrument which shall be filed with the joint commission on public ethics established by section ninety-four of the executive law during the month of February, provided, however, that the appointing authority shall amend such written instrument after such date within thirty days after the undertaking of policy-making responsibilities by a new employee or any other employee whose name did not appear on the most recent written instrument[.]; and

(iv) members of regional economic development councils.

§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 74 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 1012 of the laws of 1965, the opening paragraph as amended by chapter 14 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:

1. Definition. As used in this section: The term "state agency" shall mean any state department, or division, board, commission, or bureau of

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any state department or any public benefit corporation or public authority at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor or corporations closely affiliated with specific state agencies as defined by paragraph (d) of subdivision five of section fifty-three-a of the state finance law or their successors or any regional economic development council as established pursuant to section eleven of the economic development law.

The term "legislative employee" shall mean any officer or employee of the legislature but it shall not include members of the legislature.

§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2019.