What's happening
This bill creates a Community Need Review Commission to ensure fair, transparent, and need-based distribution of state member item funds.
Why it matters
Creates an independent commission. with bipartisan representation (appointed by legislative leaders from both majority and minority parties), aiming to reduce political favoritism in how state funds—specifically member item funds—are allocated.
Mandates transparency and public access. by requiring that both requests for funding and final decisions be published for the public on specific dates each year, making it easier for citizens and watchdogs to track who requests and receives funding.
Requires clear, need-based criteria. for distributing funds, prioritizing programs based on regional need, program quality, and merit, rather than political connections—potentially leading to a more equitable distribution of state resources.
Implements accountability measures,. including the establishment of sanctions and procedures to recover funds if they are improperly distributed, which could deter misuse and ensure that public money is used as intended.
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Who cares
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Make Grants Process Transparent
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4142
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 3, 2017
Introduced by Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to enacting the community needs integrity act and establishing the community need review commission
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "community needs integrity act".
§ 2. The legislative law is amended by adding a new article 6-B to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6-B
COMMUNITY NEED REVIEW COMMISSION Section 95. Community need review commission.
96. Powers and duties of the commission.
97. Community needs integrity plan.
§ 95. Community need review commission. There is hereby established a community need review commission which shall consist of twelve members, to be appointed as follows: three members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, three members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, three members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate and three members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. Each member of the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the official who appointed him or her. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties pursuant to this article.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06391-01-7
S. 4142 2
§ 96. Powers and duties of the commission. The community need review commission, in cooperation with the attorney general and the comptroller, shall review and oversee the distribution of member item funds set forth in the state budget. In carrying out this objective, such commission shall have the following powers and duties:
1. to safeguard the integrity and openness of the process of determining how member items shall be distributed;
2. to ensure that the public has access to such process;
3. to establish guidelines for prioritizing and ranking requests for member items;
4. to provide a mechanism whereby requests for member items are made available to the public on or before March seventeenth of each year;
5. to provide a mechanism whereby final funding decisions regarding the distribution of member items are made available to the public on or before April eighth of each year; and
6. to develop a community needs integrity plan consistent with the provisions of section ninety-seven of this article.
§ 97. Community needs integrity plan. The community need review commission shall establish a community needs integrity plan. Such plan shall provide for the following:
1. fair distribution of member item funds to all regions of the state;
2. member item funds be awarded to programs based on the need, quality and merit of the program or project;
3. member items be set forth in a detailed manner, open to the public with specific references to the program or project being funded;
4. sanctions for member item funds inappropriately disbursed;
5. mechanisms to recoup inappropriately disbursed member item funds;
6. any other provision the commission deems appropriate.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to enacting the community needs integrity act and establishing the community need review commission
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill reforms the "Member Item" process by enacting the Community Needs Integrity Act and establishes a Community Need Review Commission.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill adds a new article 6-A to the Legislative Law to create the Community Need Review Commission. The Commission shall consist of twelve members to be appointed as follows: three members shall be appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate, three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, three members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate and three members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly. The members of the Commission, in cooperation with the Attorney General and the Comptroller shall be charged with overseeing and reviewing the distribution of member item funds set forth in the state budget.
Members of the Commission are also charged with safeguarding the integrity and openness of determining how member items shall be distributed and for providing public access to that process. Members will establish guidelines for prioritizing and ranking requests and will make the list of requests available to the public on or before March 17th of each year Final funding decisions shall be made available to the public on or before April 8th of each year. Finally, members of the Commission are charged with developing a Community Needs Integrity Plan to provide for the fair distribution of funds to all regions of the state. Funds shall be awarded to programs based upon need, quality and merit. The allocation of funds will be clearly referenced with projects being described with specificity. Lastly, the plan will establish sanctions in the event that funds are inappropriately disbursed and will establish expedited collection mechanisms to recoup such funds.
Justification
The politically controlled member item process has long been in need of reform. As our state faces its worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, every taxpayer dollar that is spent needs to be scrutinized. Historically, the majority parties receive the lion's share of these funds. By way of example, before the recent coup, the Senate Majority was expected to receive $77 million of the $85 million allocated for that house despite only holding a two seat majority. The member item process needs to be changed so that it is open, fair and transparent.
Prior legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.