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.
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