Bill Text: NY A08932 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes the empire state development corporation to develop a public awareness campaign promoting businesses located in New York state with an emphasis on small businesses and the need to shop in downtown local areas; requires the creation of the Buy New York Online Networking Directory to connect purchasers with businesses located in New York.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-8)

Status: (Vetoed) 2022-12-23 - tabled [A08932 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A08932-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8932

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 19, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Economic Development

        AN ACT authorizing the empire state development corporation to develop a
          public  awareness  campaign  promoting  businesses located in New York
          state

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. 1. The empire state development corporation shall develop,
     2  establish and implement a public awareness campaign promoting businesses
     3  located in New York state and encouraging individuals and businesses  to
     4  purchase products and services from such businesses, with an emphasis on
     5  the need to shop at and support local small businesses as defined pursu-
     6  ant  to section 131 of the economic development law, as well as the need
     7  to shop at and support local downtown areas.
     8    2. The campaign shall include an internet website  providing  informa-
     9  tion  on  businesses  located  in  New  York  state  and their available
    10  products and services including a Buy New York Online Networking  Direc-
    11  tory.  The  owner of any business located and operated in this state may
    12  apply to the empire state development corporation to  have  his  or  her
    13  business  included  on  such directory. The directory shall include, but
    14  not be limited to, participating businesses' names,  addresses,  contact
    15  information,   including  telephone  number,  fax,  e-mail  and  website
    16  address, products or services offered with a brief description, and  any
    17  additional information, including history, hours and dates of operation,
    18  and  number  of employees. The names of businesses participating in such
    19  directory shall be organized by specific categories based on the various
    20  goods or services that such business provides. Such directory  shall  be
    21  searchable  by  such  specific categories including, but not limited to,
    22  small businesses as defined pursuant to  section  131  of  the  economic
    23  development  law.  Such directory shall also include a search capability
    24  to allow for participating businesses to be searched by the products  or
    25  services they offer.
    26    3. The public awareness campaign shall be made available to the public
    27  by  any  means deemed appropriate by the empire state development corpo-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01051-05-2
        A. 8932                             2

     1  ration including, but not limited to, internet, radio, and print  adver-
     2  tising  such as brochures, billboards and posters. The campaign may also
     3  identify and recruit individuals to serve as visible, public ambassadors
     4  to promote this message.
     5    4.  The campaign shall begin no later than January 1, 2024. The empire
     6  state development corporation shall prepare  an  annual  report  to  the
     7  governor and the legislature on or before December first of each year on
     8  the  public  awareness  campaign,  including:  (a)  actions taken by the
     9  empire state development corporation to carry out the  public  awareness
    10  campaign  and  (b) an assessment of the necessary appropriations for the
    11  empire state development corporation to meet the needs of  the  campaign
    12  in the next fiscal year.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.