What's happening
This bill requires New York’s Department of Economic Development to report on the impact of proposed international trade agreements on the state.
Why it matters
Provides transparency and accountability by requiring a detailed report on how international trade agreements might affect New York’s businesses, industries, job market, and regulatory powers. This helps both lawmakers and the public understand potential risks and benefits before the state commits to new trade rules.
Ensures state-level input and consideration before New York is bound by procurement rules or other commitments in international trade agreements. The report must be triggered quickly—within 30 days of a federal request or within one year of negotiation notice—ensuring timely analysis.
Mandates comprehensive data gathering across state and, where possible, federal agencies, enhancing the depth and accuracy of the impact analysis. This could influence how New York negotiates exemptions or protections for state laws and sectors.
Highlights resource implications for New York, including whether the state will need to expend additional effort or funds to enforce or comply with new international rules. This can inform budget planning and legislative priorities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report on Trade Agreements
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to commerce, economic development and small business
- Referred to commerce, economic development and small business
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2962
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business
AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to requiring the department of economic development to prepare a report relating to international trade agreements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds and declares that it is necessary to adopt such measures as may best be calculated to promote understanding of the impact international trade agreements will have on the welfare of New York state business, industry and commerce within and outside of the state.
§ 2. Subdivision 47 of section 100 of the economic development law, as renumbered by chapter 427 of the laws of 2008, is renumbered subdivision 48 and a new subdivision 47 is added to read as follows:
47. to prepare a report to be submitted to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the state's congressional delegation within thirty days after a request is made by federal officials to any state official for authority to commit the state to comply with the procurement rules of an international trade agreement or for submission of state entities or laws that should be exempted from an international trade agreement or if no such request is made, within one year after notice is provided to congress with respect to initiating negotiation for a new agreement, consisting of findings and analysis derived from data received from any agency, bureau, commission, authority, office of the state or any political subdivision thereof and, to the extent practicable, from any federal entity. Such report shall provide an analysis describing the terms of the proposed international trade agreement and the impact, if any, such agreement would have on the state's commerce, industry, job market, laws and regulatory authority and to what extent, if any, the resources of the state would be utilized in enforcing and regulating the terms of the agreement.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08507-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the economic development law, in relation to requiring the department of economic development to prepare a report relating to international trade agreements
Purpose or general idea of bill
To promote understanding of the impact in international trade agreement will have on the welfare of New York state business, industry, commerce, job market, laws and regulatory authority.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 describes the legislative intent.
Read the full memo (622 words)
§ 2 amends subdivision 47 of section 100 of the economic development law, requiring the Department of Economic Development to produce a report on an international trade agreement once a request is made by federal officials to any state official for the authority to commit the state to comply with the procurement rules of an international trade agreement or for submission of state entities or laws that should be exempted from an international trade agreement. If no such request is made, the report shall be produced one year after notice is provided to congress with respect to initiating negotiation for a new agreement. The report shall provide an analysis of the impact the international trade agreement will have on New York State business, industry, commerce, job market, laws and regulatory authority, and an estimate of how much it may cost the state to enforce.
Justification
The non-partisan Economic Policy Institute released figures in 2010 which tied the loss of 682,900 U.S. jobs to the passage of NAFTA. While NAFTA can be attributed to the creation of 46,000 jobs in New York State between 1993 and 2003, it has also led to the loss of 103,000 jobs in the state during the same period. NAFTA and other free trade agreements (FTAs) have taken quite a toll on New York State's manufacturing and agricultural sectors, while boosting the state's financial sector. The uneven effects of free trade on the state have created vast disparities in employment and wages from region to region.
In 2011 the U.S. Congress passed three new FTAs with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia, with little or no input from state governments. These agreements were wrought with controversy and drew substantial opposition. The International Trade Commission stated that the FTA with South Korea would most likely increase the U.S. trade deficit, and kill more jobs than it aims to create.
The FTA with South Korea is the most significant since NAFTA and will basically give South Korean companies a "hunting license" to go after NYS laws they feel are a barrier to market access. The PTA gives more rights to foreign companies to challenge our laws than our own domestic businesses. At this moment in time the European Union (El') is pushing the U.S. to eliminate carve outs for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and demanding stringent enforcement of provisions contained-in the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) with state governments.
Transparency in trade policy is crucial to protecting the lives and livelihoods of New York State's citizens and keeping our economy strong. The international trade division of Empire State Development and other relevant state agencies should be tasked with evaluating trade agreements to assess their effects on New York state business, industry, commerce, job market, laws- and regulatory authority. If we are to pressure our federal representatives into formulating trade deals with New Yorkers' interests in mind, the Legislature must do everything in it its power to ensure that the public is informed and involved in the process.
Prior legislative history
2015-2016: S.5426 2013-14: A.1695-A/Passed; S.1072-8/COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS 2012: A.708-D/Passed; S.2398-D/Labor 2011: A.708/Labor, S.2398/Labor 2009-10: A.1268/Labor, S.3350/Labor 2008: A.8567-A/Rules, S.4786-A/Passed 2007: A.8567-A/Rules, S.4786.A/Passed.
Fiscal implications
Negligible.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.