What's happening
This bill creates a New York State registry to recognize and promote historic businesses that have operated for at least 50 years.
Why it matters
Highlights the cultural and historical importance of long-standing local businesses, formally recognizing their value to New York communities. This can help preserve unique local character and heritage, which may otherwise be lost to development or changing economic trends.
Creates an official platform for promoting and educating the public about historic businesses, potentially boosting tourism and local pride. By maintaining an online registry, the state makes it easier for residents and visitors to discover and support these businesses.
Establishes a transparent and conflict-of-interest-aware nomination process, ensuring that only genuinely historic and community-serving businesses are eligible. Safeguards like limiting nominations per official and prohibiting nominations where financial conflicts exist help maintain credibility and fairness.
Sets clear, rigorous criteria for inclusion—requiring at least 50 years in operation within the same municipality and ongoing commitment to preserving defining traditions or features. This ensures that only businesses with deep, continuous local roots and a dedication to their heritage are recognized, not just any old or relocated company.
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Who cares
Long-established New York businesses
Businesses operating for at least fifty years in the same municipality could seek registry recognition and educational and promotional assistance, subject to nomination and eligibility requirements.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The office would establish and maintain the online registry, create applications, review eligibility and explain rejections to applicants and nominating officials.
Assembly members, senators, the governor and lieutenant governor
Each could nominate two businesses per term but could not nominate businesses owned or substantially invested in by themselves or specified close family members.
Headline styles
Create Historic Business Registry
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Substituted by S7274B
- Advanced to third reading cal.475
- Reported
- Print number 8873a
- Amend and recommit to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
- Referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development
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.
List Historic Local Businesses
Signed by Governor · Sponsor José M. Serrano
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8873--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
December 18, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. O'DONNELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development -- recommitted to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to establishing a historic business preservation registry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by adding a new section 14.11 to read as follows:
§ 14.11 Historic business preservation registry. 1. Purpose. A registry of historic businesses in the state shall be established for the purpose of recognizing that historic community-serving businesses are valuable cultural assets that serve as examples of the rich and diverse history of the communities in the state. Such registry shall also serve as a tool for providing educational and promotional assistance to historic businesses to encourage their continued viability and success.
2. Establishment. The office shall establish and maintain a registry of historic businesses in the state and maintain an online registry which includes the name, address and a list of products and/or services offered by each historic business that has been accepted into the registry.
3. Eligibility. A historic business must first be nominated by an assembly member, senator, the governor or the lieutenant governor. Nominations are limited to two per elected official per term. An elected official shall not nominate a business if they, or a close family member, including a spouse, children, siblings or parents, own or have a major investment stake in such business.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14173-04-0
A. 8873--A 2
4. Application. (a) After a business is nominated pursuant to subdivision three of this section, such business shall submit a completed application for final approval. Such application shall be created by the office and shall include the following requirements:
(i) The business shall have operated in the state for fifty or more years with no break in operations exceeding two years. The business may have operated in more than one location, but shall have operated in the same municipality for a minimum of fifty years.
(ii) The business has contributed to the municipality's history and/or identity of such municipality.
(iii) The business is committed to maintaining the physical features and traditions that define such business, including but not limited to, craft, culinary or art forms.
(b) The office, upon receipt of a nomination and accompanying application, shall make a determination of whether the applicant meets the requirements necessary to be accepted into such registry. The nominating elected official and the applicant shall be notified by the office if such applicant is not accepted into the registry and shall explain the reasons for the determination of ineligibility.
§ 2. This act shall take effect six months after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.