S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  9849

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 3, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SCHIMMINGER -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in  relation  to  the
  appointment of local historians in the county of Niagara

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 57.07 of  the  arts  and  cultural
affairs  law,  as amended by chapter 737 of the laws of 1987, is amended
to read as follows:
  1. A local historian shall be appointed, as provided in this  section,
for  each  city,  town  or  village,  except  that in a city of over one
million inhabitants a  local  historian  shall  be  appointed  for  each
borough therein instead of for the city at large; and a county historian
may  be  appointed for each county. Such historian shall be appointed as
follows: For a city, by the mayor; for a borough, by the borough  presi-
dent;  for a town, by the supervisor; for a village, by the mayor; for a
county, by the board of supervisors.    PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THE  COUNTY
HISTORIAN  FOR  THE  COUNTY  OF  NIAGARA AND THE LOCAL HISTORIAN FOR ANY
CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE LOCATED WITHIN THE  COUNTY  OF  NIAGARA  SHALL  BE
APPOINTED  BY  THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SUCH COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR
VILLAGE AND THE APPOINTMENT OF SUCH HISTORIANS, AS WELL  AS  ANY  DEPUTY
HISTORIANS  WORKING  WITH SUCH HISTORIANS, SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS. Such historian shall serve  without  compensation,
unless  the  governing board of the city, town, village or county for or
in which he or she was appointed or in the city of New York, the  mayor,
shall  otherwise  provide.  In  a city having a board of estimate, other
than the city of  New  York,  a  resolution  or  ordinance  establishing
compensation  or salary for such historian shall not take effect without
the concurrence of such board. Each  local  government  historian  shall
promote the establishment and improvement of programs for the management
and  preservation  of  local  government records with enduring value for
historical or other research; encourage the coordinated  collection  and
preservation of nongovernmental historical records by libraries, histor-
ical  societies,  and  other  repositories;  and  carry out and actively

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

                                                           LBD15654-01-0

A. 9849                             2

encourage research in such records in order to  add  to  the  knowledge,
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the community's history. The local
authorities of the city, town, village or county for which such histori-
an  is  appointed,  may provide the historian with sufficient space in a
safe, vault or other  fire  proof  structure  for  the  preservation  of
historical  materials  collected.  Such  local  authorities and also the
board of supervisors of each of the counties of  the  state  are  hereby
authorized  and empowered to appropriate, raise by tax and expend moneys
for historical purposes within their  several  jurisdictions,  including
historical  edifices,  the erection of historical markers and monuments,
the collection of war mementos, and, either alone or in cooperation with
patriotic or historical organizations, the preparation  and  publication
of  local  histories  and  records and the printing and issuing of other
historical materials in aid of the work of the local historian.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.