S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7968
I N S E N A T E
May 27, 2010
___________
Introduced by Sens. STEWART-COUSINS, C. JOHNSON, ONORATO, 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.
23 S 217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED
24 WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT A MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER ASSISTANCE
25 PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED, TO
26 PROVIDE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06936-01-9
S. 7968 2
1 OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
2 ACTIVITIES:
3 (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN SETTING UP, OR TO
4 ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS AND/OR NEW
5 ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS, IN
6 GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER
7 BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
8 SUCH CENTER;
9 (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN PROVIDING AID FOR
10 THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
11 CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ITS
12 PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; AND
13 (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER TO EXPAND THE
14 CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
15 AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
16 2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
17 ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
18 CENTERS NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
19 AND DESIGNATION OF SUCH MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS WHICH SHALL
20 INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
21 (A) COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
22 THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
23 (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK OF CLIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, REGIONAL
24 LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
25 (C) A MODEL THAT MAXIMIZES THE EFFICIENT USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
26 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, ADDRESSES THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR
27 PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
28 (D) FACILITATING ACCESS TO THE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
29 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
30 NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
31 3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO
32 PROPERLY CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
33 SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME, THE
34 COMMISSIONER MAY REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
35 CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
36 S 218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
37 ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT A MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER
38 NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED TO
39 PROVIDE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS
40 OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
41 ACTIVITIES:
42 (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN SETTING
43 UP, OR TO ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS
44 AND/OR NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
45 CENTERS, IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM
46 EACH OTHER BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTAB-
47 LISHMENT OF SUCH CENTER;
48 (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN PROVIDING
49 AID FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS
50 OUTREACH CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
51 OF ITS PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS;
52 AND
53 (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK TO EXPAND THE
54 CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
55 AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
S. 7968 3
1 2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
2 ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
3 CENTERS NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
4 AND DESTINATION OF SUCH MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS WHICH SHALL
5 INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
6 (A) COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
7 THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
8 (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK OF CLIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, REGIONAL
9 LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
10 (C) A MODEL THAT MAXIMIZES THE EFFICIENT USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
11 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, ADDRESSES THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR
12 PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
13 (D) FACILITATING ACCESS TO THE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
14 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
15 NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
16 3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO
17 PROPERLY CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
18 SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME, THE
19 COMMISSIONER MAY REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
20 CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
21 S 219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MONITOR THE EFFEC-
22 TIVENESS OF THE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IT PROVIDES TO
23 THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED, IN ORDER TO
24 DETERMINE AND REPORT TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOALS SPECIFIED IN THIS SECTION
25 HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE AND FILE AN ANNUAL
26 REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF
27 THE ASSEMBLY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF THE STATE'S
28 FISCAL YEAR CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MONITORING PURSUANT TO THIS
29 SECTION. SUCH ANNUAL REPORT SHALL CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER
30 LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE IF IN THE JUDGMENT
31 OF THE COMMISSIONER NEW LEGISLATION TO FURTHER EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES
32 OF THIS ARTICLE IS WARRANTED.
33 S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
34 it shall have become a law.