Bill Text: NY A07371 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enacts the New York State bicycle tourism promotion act; authorizes the issuance of grants for the purchase of equipment and operation of a bicycle tourism kiosk; authorizes the establishment of up to fifteen such kiosks.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to tourism, parks, arts and sports development [A07371 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A07371-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 7371 2015-2016 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y May 6, 2015 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to creating the New York State bicycle tourism promotion act THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The economic development law is amended by adding a new 2 article 23 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 23 4 NEW YORK STATE BICYCLE TOURISM PROMOTION ACT 5 SECTION 500. SHORT TITLE. 6 501. STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT. 7 502. DEFINITIONS. 8 503. ADMINISTRATION. 9 504. GRANTS FOR LOCAL BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK. 10 505. PROGRAM REVIEW. 11 S 500. SHORT TITLE. THIS ACT SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE 12 NEW YORK STATE BICYCLE TOURISM PROMOTION ACT. 13 S 501. STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY RECOG- 14 NIZES THE ROLE THAT CYCLING PLAYS IN LOCAL TOURISM. INCREASINGLY, BICY- 15 CLES ARE UTILIZED BY TRAVELERS TO EXPLORE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, OR AS A 16 METHOD OF TRAVEL THROUGH THE STATE. AS BICYCLES HELP EXPAND TRAVEL 17 DESTINATIONS, AND ADD TO EXPERIENCE BASED TOURISM, THE STATE SHOULD ACT 18 TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH IN THIS SECTOR. IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS LEGIS- 19 LATION TO ESTABLISH A WORKING FLEET OF RENTAL BIKES AT CONVENTION 20 BUREAUS, VISITOR CENTERS AND POINTS OF INTEREST THAT ARE HEAVILY VISITED 21 BY TOURISTS AND PROFESSIONALS. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEGISLATURE WISHES TO 22 PROVIDE A MECHANISM TO CONNECT VISITING PROFESSIONALS AND TRAVELERS WITH 23 INFORMATION AND MAPS OF BICYCLING ROUTES AND DESTINATION POINTS. 24 S 502. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ACT, "BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK" SHALL 25 MEAN A CENTRAL LOCATION EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY TOURISTS WHERE BICYCLES, EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04271-03-5 A. 7371 2 1 BICYCLING SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND A LOCAL BICYCLE ROUTE MAP ARE PROVIDED 2 FOR RENTAL AND USE. 3 S 503. ADMINISTRATION. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT GUIDELINES FOR, 4 AND ADMINISTER A PROGRAM TO PROMOTE BICYCLE TOURISM IN LOCAL COMMUNI- 5 TIES. IN DOING SO, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 6 (A) SOLICIT AND ACCEPT PROPOSALS FROM LOCAL TOURISM PROMOTION AGEN- 7 CIES, CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAUS AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO IDEN- 8 TIFY POTENTIAL BICYCLE ROUTES AND HOST A BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK; 9 (B) EVALUATE THOSE PROPOSALS TO ENSURE THAT PROPOSED BICYCLE ROUTES 10 WILL PROVIDE TRAVELERS WITH AN ADEQUATE EXPERIENCE BASED ON THE PROXIMI- 11 TY OF POINTS OF INTEREST AND TOURISM ATTRACTIONS TO PROPOSED BICYCLE 12 ROUTES; AND 13 (C) PROVIDE THAT NO BICYCLES SHALL BE RENTED WITHOUT ALSO PROVIDING A 14 BICYCLE HELMET, OR HAVING BEEN PROVIDED THAT THE PERSON RENTING THE 15 BICYCLE HAS IN HIS OR HER POSSESSION A HELMET TO BE USED WHILE OPERATING 16 SUCH BICYCLE. 17 2. THE DEPARTMENT MAY APPROVE UP TO FIFTEEN PROPOSALS TO CREATE A 18 LOCAL BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK. 19 3. NOTHING SHALL PROHIBIT THE DEPARTMENT FROM CONTRACTING WITH A 20 STATEWIDE BICYCLING ORGANIZATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF IDENTIFYING POTEN- 21 TIAL AREAS FOR A BICYCLE TOURISM PROGRAM, EVALUATING PROPOSALS SUBMITTED 22 TO THE DEPARTMENT AND LOCALLY ADMINISTERING GRANTS PROVIDED UNDER THIS 23 ARTICLE. 24 S 504. GRANTS FOR LOCAL BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK. 1. FROM EXISTING 25 AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR TOURISM PROMOTION, AND ANY OTHER AMOUNTS APPRO- 26 PRIATED FOR THE PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE GRANTS TO TOURISM 27 PROMOTION AGENCIES, CONVENTIONS AND VISITORS BUREAUS, CHAMBERS OF 28 COMMERCE, OR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT AND OPERA- 29 TION OF A BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK. 30 2. THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONTRACT WITH A STATEWIDE BICYCLING ORGANIZATION 31 TO ADMINISTER GRANTS PROVIDED UNDER THIS ARTICLE. 32 3. NO SINGLE GRANT MAY EXCEED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. 33 4. ELIGIBLE USES FOR GRANTS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION ARE AS 34 FOLLOWS: 35 (A) FOR THE PURCHASE OF BICYCLES, HELMETS, LOCKS, BICYCLE TOOLS, 36 STATIONARY BICYCLE RACKS, AND ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN 37 AND PROVIDE SAFE BICYCLE RENTALS; 38 (B) FOR PERSONAL SERVICE COSTS, PROVIDED HOWEVER THAT SUCH PERSONAL 39 SERVICE COSTS SHALL NOT EXCEED NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER GRANT; 40 (C) FOR ANY OTHER COSTS NECESSARY TO LEASE OR PURCHASE SPACE TO OPER- 41 ATE A BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK; AND 42 (D) FOR REASONABLE NON-PERSONAL SERVICE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 43 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A BICYCLE TOURISM KIOSK. 44 S 505. PROGRAM REVIEW. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL, SIX MONTHS AFTER THE 45 AWARDING OF GRANTS UNDER THIS ARTICLE, CAUSE TO BE PRODUCED A REVIEW OF 46 THE PROGRAM. A REPORT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PROGRAM SHALL BE 47 SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND SPEAK- 48 ER OF THE ASSEMBLY. 49 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.