Bill Text: NY S06948 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to changing the amount of members the African-American History Commission consists of, extends the deadline for when the commission should submit reports of its findings, and extends the repeal date for when the commission shall cease to exist.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-02-16 - signed chap.22 [S06948 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06948-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6948

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 6, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend a chapter of the laws of 2019 establishing the 400 Years
          of African-American History Commission, in relation to the  amount  of
          members  of such commission, the deadline such commission shall submit
          reports of its findings and to the effectiveness thereof

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

     1    Section  1. Sections 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of a chapter of the laws of 2019
     2  establishing the 400 Years of African-American  History  Commission,  as
     3  proposed  in  legislative bills numbers S. 3204 and A. 7667, are amended
     4  to read as follows:
     5    § 2. (a) The commission shall consist of [thirteen]  fifteen  members,
     6  including  the  secretary  of state, or his or her designee, the commis-
     7  sioner of education, or his  or  her  designee,  [three]  seven  members
     8  appointed  by  the governor, [three] two members appointed by the tempo-
     9  rary president of the senate,  [three]  two  members  appointed  by  the
    10  speaker  of  the  assembly,  one member appointed by the senate minority
    11  leader, and one  member  appointed  by  the  assembly  minority  leader.
    12  Appointed  members  shall  include  but not be limited to historians and
    13  those with a background in African-American history, arts,  or  culture.
    14  Such  appointments  shall  be  made within [30] 90 days of the effective
    15  date of this act.
    16    (b) A vacancy on the commission shall be filled in the same manner  in
    17  which the original appointment was made.
    18    (c) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but
    19  shall  be  entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred
    20  in the performance of their duties.
    21    (d) The secretary of state, or his or her designee, shall serve as the
    22  chair and shall appoint the vice-chair of the commission.  The  presence

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06194-02-9
        S. 6948                             2

     1  of  a  majority  of the authorized membership of the commission shall be
     2  required for the conduct of official business.
     3    (e)  The  department  of  state shall provide technical assistance and
     4  data to the commission as may be necessary for the commission  to  carry
     5  out its responsibilities pursuant to this act.
     6    §  4.  [The  commission  may,  from  any  monies appropriated for such
     7  purposes, provide:
     8    (a) grants to communities and nonprofit organizations for the develop-
     9  ment of programs; and
    10    (b) grants  to  research  and  scholarly  organizations  to  research,
    11  publish,  or  distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans
    12  in New York and the United States.
    13    § 5.] The commission shall submit a report to  the  governor  and  the
    14  legislature  that  contains  a  summary  of  its  planned activities, an
    15  accounting of its received and expended  funds,  and  its  findings  and
    16  recommendations on or before October 1, [2019] 2020.
    17    § [6] 5.  The commission shall submit a report to the governor and the
    18  legislature  that contains a summary of its activities, a final account-
    19  ing of its received and expended funds, and its findings and recommenda-
    20  tions on or before June 1, [2021] 2022.
    21    § [7] 6.  This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire  and
    22  be deemed repealed July 1, [2021] 2022.
    23    §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
    24  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019 establishing the  400  Years  of
    25  African-American  History  Commission,  as proposed in legislative bills
    26  numbers S. 3204 and A. 7667, takes effect.