What's happening
This bill redirects a portion of public safety communication surcharges to a new municipal first responder grants fund for equipment and technology.
Why it matters
Redirects funding from the state’s general fund to a dedicated municipal first responder grants fund, ensuring that a significant portion of public safety communication surcharge revenue is reserved specifically for local emergency services.
Creates a new, recurring source of grant money for municipalities to purchase critical first responder equipment and technology—including personal gear, rescue equipment, hazmat systems, and communications tech—potentially improving response times and safety.
Prioritizes support for frontline emergency personnel (fire, police, EMS) by guaranteeing a consistent funding stream to update and maintain essential operational tools, which may address longstanding resource gaps for local departments.
Could increase transparency and accountability in how surcharge funds are used, as the money is now earmarked for specific first responder needs rather than being absorbed into the broader state budget.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund First Responder Equipment Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Held for consideration in ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5899
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 20, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. MALLIOTAKIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to public safety communications surcharges and distributes a portion of such surcharges collected to the municipal first responder grants fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 186-f of the tax law, as added by section 3 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, paragraph (b) as amended by section 1 of part Q of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
5. Deposits of surcharge monies collected and received. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all surcharge monies collected and received by the commissioner under this section must be deposited daily to the credit of the comptroller with those responsible banks, banking houses or trust companies the comptroller may designate. Those deposits must be kept separate and apart from all other monies in the possession of the comptroller. The comptroller must require adequate security from all such depositories. Of the total revenue collected or received under this section, the comptroller must retain in the comptroller's hands an amount determined by the commissioner to be necessary for refunds under this section, out of which the comptroller will pay any refunds to which taxpayers are entitled under the provisions of this section. The comptroller, after reserving the amount to pay refunds, must, on or before the tenth day of each month, pay all surcharge monies collected and received under this section and remaining to the comptroller's credit as follows:
(a) forty-one and seven-tenths of the revenues collected and received under this section into the [state general] municipal first responder grants fund; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09945-01-9
A. 5899 2
(b) after deducting the amount paid under paragraph (a) of this subdivision and the amount retained by wireless communications suppliers pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision two of this section, the balance of the revenues collected under this section into the statewide public safety communications account of the miscellaneous special revenue fund, created pursuant to section ninety-seven-qq of the state finance law.
§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 186-f of the tax law is amended by adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
(h) The sum equal to the amount identified in paragraph (a) of subdivision five of this section shall be credited to the municipal first responder grants fund. This fund shall be used for the purpose of supplying grants for the purchase of personal equipment, apparatus, rescue gear, air systems, turnout gear, hazmat systems, and communication technology.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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