Bill Text: NY S02825 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates the micro business outreach center assistance program within the department of economic development, and provides for its functions, powers and duties; further creates the micro business outreach center network; establishes a reporting requirement by the commissioner of economic development.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - REFERRED TO COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS [S02825 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S02825-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2825 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E February 2, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sens. STEWART-COUSINS, ESPAILLAT, HANNON, MONTGOMERY, OPPENHEIMER, SMITH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to creating the micro business outreach center assistance program 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 9-B to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 9-B 4 MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 5 SECTION 216. DEFINITIONS. 6 217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 7 218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK. 8 219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 9 S 216. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING 10 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS: 11 1. "MICRO BUSINESS" SHALL MEAN A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP, PARTNERSHIP OR 12 FAMILY BUSINESS THAT HAS FEWER THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES. 13 2. "MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS" SHALL MEAN A BUSINESS OUTREACH 14 CENTER THAT SERVES THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF SPECIFIC COMMUNI- 15 TIES. 16 3. "MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK" SHALL MEAN A NETWORK OF 17 BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS THAT PROVIDES SERVICES THROUGHOUT A REGION AND 18 HELPS DEVELOP AND ASSIST INDIVIDUAL MICRO-ENTERPRISE/SMALL BUSINESS 19 DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DELIVERY OF CUSTOMIZED BUSINESS 20 SERVICES TO ENTREPRENEURS, AS WELL AS CAPACITY-BUILDING SERVICES TO 21 ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING COMMUNITY AND MICRO-ENTERPRISE 22 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04600-01-1 S. 2825 2 1 S 217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED 2 WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT A MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER ASSISTANCE 3 PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED, TO 4 PROVIDE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS 5 OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING 6 ACTIVITIES: 7 (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN SETTING UP, OR TO 8 ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS AND/OR NEW 9 ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS, IN 10 GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER 11 BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 12 SUCH CENTER; 13 (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN PROVIDING AID FOR 14 THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH 15 CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ITS 16 PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; AND 17 (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER TO EXPAND THE 18 CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES 19 AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 20 2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI- 21 ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH 22 CENTERS NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION 23 AND DESIGNATION OF SUCH MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS WHICH SHALL 24 INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: 25 (A) COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM 26 THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY; 27 (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK OF CLIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, REGIONAL 28 LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES; 29 (C) A MODEL THAT MAXIMIZES THE EFFICIENT USE OF SCARCE EXISTING 30 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, ADDRESSES THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR 31 PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS; 32 (D) FACILITATING ACCESS TO THE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC 33 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI- 34 NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 35 3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO 36 PROPERLY CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE 37 SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME, THE 38 COMMISSIONER MAY REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC 39 CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS. 40 S 218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK. 1. THERE IS HEREBY 41 ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT A MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER 42 NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED TO 43 PROVIDE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS 44 OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING 45 ACTIVITIES: 46 (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN SETTING 47 UP, OR TO ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS 48 AND/OR NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH 49 CENTERS, IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM 50 EACH OTHER BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTAB- 51 LISHMENT OF SUCH CENTER; 52 (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN PROVIDING 53 AID FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS 54 OUTREACH CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE 55 OF ITS PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; 56 AND S. 2825 3 1 (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK TO EXPAND THE 2 CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES 3 AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 4 2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI- 5 ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH 6 CENTERS NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION 7 AND DESTINATION OF SUCH MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS WHICH SHALL 8 INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: 9 (A) COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM 10 THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY; 11 (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK OF CLIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, REGIONAL 12 LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES; 13 (C) A MODEL THAT MAXIMIZES THE EFFICIENT USE OF SCARCE EXISTING 14 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, ADDRESSES THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR 15 PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS; 16 (D) FACILITATING ACCESS TO THE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC 17 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI- 18 NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 19 3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO 20 PROPERLY CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE 21 SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME, THE 22 COMMISSIONER MAY REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC 23 CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS. 24 S 219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MONITOR THE EFFEC- 25 TIVENESS OF THE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IT PROVIDES TO 26 THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED, IN ORDER TO 27 DETERMINE AND REPORT TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOALS SPECIFIED IN THIS SECTION 28 HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE AND FILE AN ANNUAL 29 REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF 30 THE ASSEMBLY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF THE STATE'S 31 FISCAL YEAR CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MONITORING PURSUANT TO THIS 32 SECTION. SUCH ANNUAL REPORT SHALL CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER 33 LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE IF IN THE JUDGMENT 34 OF THE COMMISSIONER NEW LEGISLATION TO FURTHER EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES 35 OF THIS ARTICLE IS WARRANTED. 36 S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 37 it shall have become a law.