S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1019--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 7, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee  on  Local  Governments  --  recommitted to the Committee on Local
   Governments in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec.  2  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  village  law,  in  relation to incorporation of
   villages; relating to directing a municipal re-organization study; and
   providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
   of
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 2-208 of the village law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 4 to read as follows:
   4.  THE  PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUSPENDED UNTIL
 DECEMBER 31, 2024.
   § 2. Municipal re-organization study. 1. The department  of  state  is
 hereby  authorized  and directed to conduct a study on the existing laws
 and regulations regarding the incorporation, merger, and dissolution  of
 municipalities  for  the purpose of making recommendations of amendments
 to said laws or regulations in order to better serve the needs of  resi-
 dents.  For the purpose of this study, municipality shall mean towns and
 villages.
   2. The study shall focus on the causes and consequences of the  incor-
 poration,  merger, and dissolution of municipalities. (a) When examining
 causes, the department shall consider, but not be limited to (i) examin-
 ing how often the process to dissolve, merge, or incorporate  a  munici-
 pality  is  initiated  and either succeeds or fails, (ii) the fiscal and
 economic conditions present in municipalities where a process  to  merge
 or dissolve was initiated, and the fiscal and economic conditions of the
 areas  of  existing municipalities where the process to incorporate part
 of them into a new municipality was  initiated,  (iii)  the  social  and

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01774-02-2
              

 A. 1019--A                          2
 
 demographic  conditions  of  the populations of municipalities where the
 process to merge, dissolve, or incorporate a new municipality was initi-
 ated, including how any  difference  between  populations  affected  the
 initiation  of  the process to incorporate, merge, or dissolve a munici-
 pality.
   (b) When examining the consequences, the  department  of  state  shall
 consider,  but  not  be limited to (i) examining the effects to property
 taxes and municipal revenue from successful incorporations, mergers,  or
 dissolutions  of  municipalities, including effects on local governments
 collocated with the affected municipalities, including school districts,
 library  districts,  sewer  districts,  and  any  other  special  taxing
 districts,  (ii)  the  effect  on the delivery of public services to the
 residents of the municipalities affected by incorporations, mergers,  or
 dissolutions  of  municipalities,  and (iii) the effects on the economic
 conditions of the municipalities affected by an  incorporation,  merger,
 or dissolution of a municipality.
   3.  To  the  maximum extent feasible, the department of state shall be
 entitled to request and receive and shall utilize and be  provided  with
 such  facilities, resources and data of any department, division, board,
 bureau, commission or agency of the state as it may  reasonably  request
 to properly carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this act.
   4.  The department of state shall consult with the office of the state
 comptroller, associations representing towns  and  villages,  and  local
 elected  officials,  when considering and developing the recommendations
 of amendments to existing laws and regulations  governing  the  incorpo-
 ration, merger, and dissolution of municipalities.
   5. The department of state shall within one year of the effective date
 of this act submit a report of the findings, conclusions and recommenda-
 tion  of  amendments  from the study to the governor, the speaker of the
 assembly, the temporary president of  the  senate,  the  chairs  of  the
 senate  finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee, and
 the chairs of the senate and assembly local government committees.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
 section  one  of this act shall apply to any petitions for incorporation
 submitted pursuant to section 2-202 of the  village  law  and  currently
 pending  without  final  disposition  on  or  after January 1, 2021; and
 provided, further, that this act shall expire and be deemed repealed  on
 and after December 31, 2024.