What's happening
This bill requires that any grant from the state and municipal facilities program have a sponsor from the state senate or assembly.
Why it matters
Increases Legislative Oversight. By requiring every grant from the State and Municipal Facilities Program to have a state senator or assembly member as a sponsor, the bill ensures that elected officials are directly involved in the allocation of these public funds.
May Impact Fairness and Access. Organizations seeking these grants will now need to secure support from a legislator, potentially favoring applicants with stronger political connections or lobbying capacity, while making it harder for less-connected groups to access funding.
Enhances Transparency and Accountability. The sponsorship requirement creates a clearer public record of which legislators support which projects, making it easier for the public and media to track and scrutinize the distribution of grants.
Could Influence Political Relationships. This change may increase opportunities for legislators to demonstrate support for local projects, but could also introduce more political considerations into what are ostensibly merit-based funding decisions.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Require Grant Sponsor in Legislature
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 39
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4397
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 11, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in relation to the state and municipal facilities program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 49 of section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. Any grant issued by the dormitory authority or the corporation from the state and municipal facilities program shall have a sponsor from the state senate or the state assembly.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2019.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10554-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in relation to the state and municipal facilities program
Purpose or general idea of bill
The bill would require members of the state legislature to take respon- sibility for money directed to local governments through the State and Municipal facilities (SAM) program by prohibiting anonymous SAM grants.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends the urban development corporation act to add a new subdivision 4 requiring that any grant issued as part of the state and municipal facilities program shall have a sponsor from the state senate or the state assembly.
Section 2: Effective Date.
Justification
State legislators can funnel money to local governments through the State and Municipal facilities program (SAM) but currently, SAM grants are not required to have a sponsor in the State Senate or Assembly. Requiring transparency in spending public money is a vital good govern- ment reform.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2019.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.