S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1743

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 5, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
  ty and Military Affairs

AN ACT  in  relation  to  enacting  the  "non-profit  homeland  security
  preparedness  study";  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:

  Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "non-profit
homeland security preparedness study".
  S  2.  Legislative  findings  and  declaration. The legislature hereby
finds and declares that New York state is home to thousands of  not-for-
profit  cultural, religious and educational institutions which serve the
needs of millions of New  Yorkers.  A  number  of  these  not-for-profit
institutions  must expend resources to enhance their security to protect
against terrorist threat.
  The resources to make these vital improvements  exhaust  institutional
budgets  forcing  institutions  to  choose between providing services or
making security improvements.
  The legislature finds that the  existing  federal  program  to  assist
not-for-profit  organizations has not met the needs of the organizations
as its budgetary funding, and  the  existence  of  the  federal  program
itself  varies  from year to year. The federal program was not funded in
2006, and in 2007 New York state institutions received only $3.3 million
statewide. Less than half of the  109  New  York  not-for-profit  insti-
tutions  that  applied  for  funding  received  support.  As the federal
program has not been as reliable as necessary, New York state must exam-
ine its resources to supplement the federal program appropriations.
  This legislation commissions the office of homeland security to  study
and  recommend  available state resources that could be used to create a
state not-for-profit homeland security grant program.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01059-01-9
              

S. 1743                             2

  S 3. 1. The office of homeland security shall study, evaluate and make
recommendations in writing to the governor, the temporary  president  of
the  senate,  and  the speaker of the assembly regarding the universe of
state resources available to assist not-for-profit institutions in hard-
ening  their  facilities  through  a state not-for-profit grant program,
create criteria of eligibility of such program, and create  criteria  to
conduct risk or vulnerability assessment on not-for-profit organizations
throughout the state.
  2.  The  office of homeland security shall secure public comment about
resources to assist not-for-profit institutions  in  providing  security
for its facilities and include such comment in its written report.
  3.  The  office  of  homeland  security  shall submit its findings and
recommendations in writing on or before December 31, 2009.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
deemed repealed December 31, 2009.