Help Small Businesses Fight Crime

Section 1. The economic development law is amended by adding a new section 139-a to read as follows:

§ 139-a. Small business crime prevention services program. 1. There is hereby established within the division a small business crime prevention services program.

2. The small business crime prevention services program, directly and in conjunction with other divisions of the department and with other agencies of the state, federal agencies or local governments, shall provide small businesses with access to the following services:

(a) information on strategies, best practices and programs offering training and assistance in prevention of crimes in and around the premises of small businesses or otherwise affecting small businesses, including but not limited to: assault, arson and other violent felony offenses; robbery, burglary, theft, identity theft, counterfeiting, check and credit card fraud and other fraud; and vandalism, graffiti and other property damage;

(b) information on eligibility and applications for financial assistance for small business crime prevention services under paragraph (o) of subdivision one of section sixteen-m of section one of chapter one hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-eight;

(c) information on eligibility and applications for other programs of financial assistance for small business crime prevention that may from time to time be available from the department or other agencies of the state, federal agencies or local governments;

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

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD00786-01-9

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(d) information on protecting the assets of small businesses from crime, including risk reduction strategies and insurance availability; and

(e) information on responses to crime, including reporting of crimes, submitting insurance claims and crime victim assistance programs.

3. The small business crime prevention services program shall, with the assistance of the small business advisory board and other appropriate state agencies, identify issues relating to crime affecting small businesses and assist the advisory board and the division in making recommendations for legislative, regulatory and programmatic actions to address such issues.

§ 2. Paragraph (n) of subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development corporation act, as added by chapter 298 of the laws of 2012, is amended and a new paragraph (o) is added to read as follows:

(n) Loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies and grants to businesses, municipalities, industrial development agencies and local and regional economic development corporations, not-for-profit corporations, business improvement districts, regional marketing authorities and agricultural cooperatives organized pursuant to the cooperative corporations law, and other entities for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, expansion or rehabilitation of wholesale regional farmers' markets or food hubs that facilitate the sale and promotion of farm products grown or produced in New York state.

For the purposes of this paragraph a wholesale regional farmers' market or food hub is a market, business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local or regional producers to satisfy wholesale, retail and institutional demand for such products[.]; and

(o) Loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies and grants to small businesses, municipalities, not-for-profit corporations or other organizations for the purpose of preventing crimes against small businesses or on the premises or in the vicinity of small businesses, including such activities as initiating or maintaining business watch programs, installation of lighting, security equipment and other physical improvements to prevent or deter criminal activities, and the development and dissemination of information to owners, operators and employees of small businesses on effective crime prevention strategies. Preference in awarding assistance pursuant to this paragraph shall be given to projects that will benefit distressed areas or other areas with a demonstrated need based on crime statistics, projects that provide a local or private-sector match, and projects that demonstrate a likelihood of positive impact on crime prevention. The division of criminal justice services shall provide assistance in the development of the program of small business crime prevention assistance.

§ 3. Section 837 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 22 to read as follows:

22. Provide advice and assistance to the division for small business in developing and operating a program of small business crime prevention services pursuant to section one hundred thirty-nine-a of the economic development law, and provide advice and assistance to the urban development corporation in the development of the program of small business crime prevention assistance pursuant to paragraph (o) of subdivision one of section sixteen-m of section one of chapter one hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-eight.

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§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the department of economic development, the New York state urban development corporation and the division of criminal justice services shall be immediately authorized to take any and all actions necessary to fully implement the provisions of this act on such date; and further provided that the amendments to section 16-m of the urban development corporation act made by section two of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.