Bill Text: NY S01470 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to report on the feasiblity of restarting the historic barn preservation and restoration grant program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-01-17 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S01470 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S01470-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1470
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     January 9, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
          Parks and Recreation
        AN ACT to direct the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and
          historic preservation to develop a plan for  the  reimplementation  of
          the barn grant program
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The commissioner of the office  of  parks,  recreation  and
     2  historic preservation is hereby authorized and directed to work with the
     3  state comptroller and the board of the natural heritage trust to develop
     4  a  plan  for  the reimplementation of the barn grant program of the year
     5  two thousand.
     6    § 2. The commissioner is directed to deliver a report to the chair  of
     7  the  senate  agriculture  committee within three months of the effective
     8  date of this act. The report shall make reference to previous audits  of
     9  the  former  program  and shall address the overall mandate of this act.
    10  The report shall address the following points:
    11    (a) the viability of giving funds as reimbursement for costs  incurred
    12  as opposed to giving funds up-front;
    13    (b)  ways to ensure grantees have access to appropriate legal counsel,
    14  or that grantees will be encouraged to seek legal counsel at all  stages
    15  of their grant;
    16    (c)  the possibility of requiring that grantees submit business plans,
    17  undergo an audit,  or  otherwise  demonstrate  the  viability  of  their
    18  venture as a condition of being awarded a grant;
    19    (d)  the  availability  of  resources within state agencies to perform
    20  title searches and evaluate deed records;
    21    (e) which, if any, private  title  search  companies  and  independent
    22  project  management  groups  have  already  been vetted by the office of
    23  general services;
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06755-01-7
        S. 1470                             2
     1    (f) the appropriateness of utilizing the national  heritage  trust  to
     2  receive  and  administer  grant  funds, particularly funds that might be
     3  given to private individuals and businesses.
     4    §  3.  The  report  shall also explore the viability of using multiple
     5  application tracks such as:
     6    (a) a strict reimplementation of the  barn  grant  program  using  its
     7  original  criteria;  projects  on  properties listed in, or eligible for
     8  listing in, the National Register of Historic Places;
     9    (b) projects that increase a facility's adaptability to extreme weath-
    10  er events;
    11    (c) projects that will maintain the distinct architectural features of
    12  a barn or outbuilding though they will repurpose the structure  to  meet
    13  the current needs of the associated farm's business plan, so long as the
    14  building would not be used for human habitation.
    15    §  4. The commissioner is encouraged to consult the National Trust for
    16  Historic Preservation's "Historic Barns: Working Assets for  Sustainable
    17  Farms" white paper for additional guidance.
    18    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.