STATE OF NEW YORK

        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          8410
 

 

IN SENATE

 
                                      May 24, 2020
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to state aid for  library
          construction;  and  providing  for  the repeal of such provisions upon
          expiration thereof
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
  1      Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of section 273-a of the education law, as
  2    separately amended by chapters 381 and 389  of  the  laws  of  2019,  is
  3    amended to read as follows:
  4      1.  State  aid  shall be provided for up to fifty percent of the total
  5    project approved costs, excluding feasibility studies, plans or  similar
  6    activities,  for  projects  for  the  installation and infrastructure of
  7    broadband services, and for the  acquisition  of  vacant  land  and  the
  8    acquisition,   construction,  renovation  or  rehabilitation,  including
  9    leasehold improvements, of buildings of  public  libraries  and  library
 10    systems chartered by the regents of the state of New York or established
 11    by  act of the legislature subject to the limitations provided in subdi-
 12    vision six of this section and upon approval by the commissioner, except
 13    that state aid may be provided for up to  seventy-five  percent  of  the
 14    total  project approved costs for buildings of public libraries that are
 15    located in an economically disadvantaged community and  that  state  aid
 16    may  be  provided for up to ninety percent of the total project approved
 17    costs for buildings of public libraries that are located in  an  econom-
 18    ically  distressed  community. Provided however that the state liability
 19    for aid paid pursuant to this section shall be limited to  funds  appro-
 20    priated  for  such  purpose.  Aid shall be provided on approved expenses
 21    incurred during the period commencing July first and ending June thirti-
 22    eth for up to three years, or until the project is completed,  whichever
 23    occurs  first.    Provided, however, that public libraries that received
 24    aid for projects pursuant to this section  commencing  July  first,  two
 25    thousand  seventeen  through  July  first, two thousand nineteen and are
 26    unable to complete such projects due to  the  state  disaster  emergency
 27    declared pursuant to executive order number two hundred two of two thou-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16347-02-0
 
 
        S. 8410                             2
 
  1    sand  twenty,  as amended, shall be provided an additional twelve months
  2    from the statutory project end date to  complete  such  projects.  Fifty
  3    percent  of  such  aid  shall  be payable to each system or library upon
  4    approval of the application by the department. Forty percent of such aid
  5    shall  be  payable  in  the  next  state  fiscal year. The remaining ten
  6    percent shall be payable upon project completion.
  7      § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
  8    deemed  repealed July 1, 2023; provided, however, that the amendments to
  9    subdivision 1 of section 273-a of the education law made by section  one
 10    of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section and shall be
 11    deemed to expire therewith.