What's happening
This bill prohibits transferring unspent money from dedicated fee funds to other funds, ensuring use only for their designated purposes.
Why it matters
Strengthens trust in government by ensuring that fees collected for specific purposes (like environmental or transportation funds) are actually spent on those intended uses, rather than being diverted to unrelated budget gaps.
Could improve the effectiveness of dedicated programs (e.g., infrastructure repair, licensing boards) by making more consistent funding available, as money set aside for these purposes can no longer be swept into general or other funds.
Limits the state's financial flexibility during budget crises, potentially requiring lawmakers to make more transparent decisions about raising revenue or cutting spending instead of quietly reallocating unspent dedicated funds.
Gives fee payers—such as businesses, drivers, or hunters—greater assurance that their payments are directly supporting the services or projects they were promised, potentially increasing public willingness to pay such fees.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Keep Fees in Dedicated Funds
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Protect Dedicated Fund Money
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Stephen Hawley
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
398
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to prohibiting the transfer of unexpended moneys from funds receiving moneys from a dedicated fee into any other fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 73-a to read as follows:
§ 73-a. Transfer of funds. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, unexpended moneys in any fund that:
1. receives revenues from a dedicated fee;
2. provides that moneys in the fund shall be kept separate from and shall not be commingled with other moneys in the custody of the comptroller; and
3. provides that moneys in the fund shall be expended only for the purpose designated in the fund shall not be transferred to any other fund or account or used for any purpose other than that designated by the fund.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02273-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to prohibiting the transfer of unexpended moneys from funds receiving moneys from a dedicated fee into any other fund
Purpose
To prevent the transfer of funds from accounts that are specifically supported with a dedicated fee.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the state finance law by adding a new section stating that fees collected to support a specific fund will only be expended for that specific purpose.
Section two - effective date.
Justification
Various funds exist in the state budget to support specific activities of all New Yorkers such as land conservation, fishing and hunting and maintenance of trails throughout the state. Fees supporting such funds are paid with the understanding that the state will dedicate the total revenues derived from these fees to the payment of expenses directly related to the specific activity for which the fees were collected.
Legislative history
S.7976/A.10732 of 2007-2008; Referred to Senate Finance Committee S.3207/A.989 of 2009-2010; Referred to Senate Finance Committee S.173/A.1354 of 2011-2012; Committed to Rules S.1091/A.385 of 2013-14; Committed to Finance S. 2988/A. 2624 of 2015-2016; Referred to Senate Finance Committee
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.