S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8116
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             October 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Small Business
 
 AN ACT to amend the economic development law, the New York  state  urban
   development  corporation  act  and  the  executive law, in relation to
   small business crime prevention services

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  economic  development law is amended by adding a new
 section 139-a to read as follows:
   § 139-A. SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION SERVICES PROGRAM.   1.  THERE
 IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  DIVISION  A  SMALL  BUSINESS CRIME
 PREVENTION SERVICES PROGRAM.
   2. THE SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION SERVICES PROGRAM, DIRECTLY  AND
 IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH  OTHER  DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WITH OTHER
 AGENCIES OF THE STATE, FEDERAL  AGENCIES  OR  LOCAL  GOVERNMENTS,  SHALL
 PROVIDE SMALL BUSINESSES WITH ACCESS TO THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
   (A)  INFORMATION  ON  STRATEGIES, BEST PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS OFFERING
 TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE IN PREVENTION OF CRIMES IN AND AROUND THE  PREM-
 ISES  OF  SMALL  BUSINESSES  OR  OTHERWISE  AFFECTING  SMALL BUSINESSES,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:  ASSAULT, ARSON AND OTHER  VIOLENT  FELONY
 OFFENSES;  ROBBERY,  BURGLARY,  THEFT,  IDENTITY  THEFT, COUNTERFEITING,
 CHECK AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD AND OTHER FRAUD; AND VANDALISM, GRAFFITI AND
 OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE;
   (B) INFORMATION ON ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL  ASSIST-
 ANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION SERVICES UNDER PARAGRAPH (O) OF
 SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  SECTION  SIXTEEN-M  OF  SECTION ONE OF CHAPTER ONE
 HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR OF THE LAWS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT;
   (C) INFORMATION ON ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATIONS FOR OTHER PROGRAMS  OF
 FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  FOR SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION THAT MAY FROM
 TIME TO TIME BE AVAILABLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OR OTHER AGENCIES  OF  THE
 STATE, FEDERAL AGENCIES OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01755-01-3
              

 A. 8116                             2
 
   (D)  INFORMATION  ON  PROTECTING  THE  ASSETS OF SMALL BUSINESSES FROM
 CRIME, INCLUDING RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES AND  INSURANCE  AVAILABILITY;
 AND
   (E)  INFORMATION ON RESPONSES TO CRIME, INCLUDING REPORTING OF CRIMES,
 SUBMITTING INSURANCE CLAIMS AND CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
   3. THE SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION SERVICES  PROGRAM  SHALL,  WITH
 THE  ASSISTANCE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD AND OTHER APPROPRI-
 ATE STATE AGENCIES, IDENTIFY ISSUES RELATING TO  CRIME  AFFECTING  SMALL
 BUSINESSES  AND  ASSIST  THE  ADVISORY  BOARD AND THE DIVISION IN MAKING
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE, REGULATORY AND PROGRAMMATIC ACTIONS  TO
 ADDRESS SUCH ISSUES.
   §  2.  Paragraph  (n) of subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of
 chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the New York  state  urban
 development  corporation  act,  as  added  by chapter 298 of the laws of
 2012, is amended and a new paragraph (o) is added to read as follows:
   (n) Loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies  and  grants  to  busi-
 nesses,  municipalities,  industrial  development agencies and local and
 regional economic development corporations, not-for-profit corporations,
 business improvement districts, regional marketing authorities and agri-
 cultural cooperatives organized pursuant to the cooperative corporations
 law, and other entities for the construction,  reconstruction,  improve-
 ment, expansion or rehabilitation of wholesale regional farmers' markets
 or  food  hubs  that  facilitate the sale and promotion of farm products
 grown or produced in New York state.
   For the purposes of  this  paragraph  a  wholesale  regional  farmers'
 market  or  food hub is a market, business or organization that actively
 manages the aggregation, distribution and marketing of source-identified
 food products primarily from local  or  regional  producers  to  satisfy
 wholesale, retail and institutional demand for such products[.]; AND
   (O)  LOANS,  LOAN  GUARANTEES,  INTEREST SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS TO SMALL
 BUSINESSES, MUNICIPALITIES, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS OR OTHER  ORGAN-
 IZATIONS  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING CRIMES AGAINST SMALL BUSINESSES
 OR ON THE PREMISES OR IN THE VICINITY  OF  SMALL  BUSINESSES,  INCLUDING
 SUCH  ACTIVITIES  AS  INITIATING OR MAINTAINING BUSINESS WATCH PROGRAMS,
 INSTALLATION OF LIGHTING, SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND OTHER PHYSICAL IMPROVE-
 MENTS TO PREVENT OR DETER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, AND THE  DEVELOPMENT  AND
 DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION TO OWNERS, OPERATORS AND EMPLOYEES OF SMALL
 BUSINESSES  ON  EFFECTIVE  CRIME  PREVENTION  STRATEGIES.  PREFERENCE IN
 AWARDING ASSISTANCE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL  BE  GIVEN  TO
 PROJECTS THAT WILL BENEFIT DISTRESSED AREAS OR OTHER AREAS WITH A DEMON-
 STRATED NEED BASED ON CRIME STATISTICS, PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE A LOCAL OR
 PRIVATE-SECTOR  MATCH,  AND  PROJECTS  THAT  DEMONSTRATE A LIKELIHOOD OF
 POSITIVE IMPACT ON CRIME PREVENTION. THE DIVISION  OF  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE
 SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM OF
 SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION ASSISTANCE.
   § 3. Section 837 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 24 to read as follows:
   24.  PROVIDE  ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO THE DIVISION FOR SMALL BUSINESS
 IN DEVELOPING AND OPERATING A PROGRAM OF SMALL BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION
 SERVICES PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE-A OF  THE  ECONOMIC
 DEVELOPMENT LAW, AND PROVIDE ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO THE URBAN DEVELOP-
 MENT  CORPORATION  IN  THE  DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM OF SMALL BUSINESS
 CRIME PREVENTION ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (O) OF SUBDIVISION ONE
 OF SECTION SIXTEEN-M OF SECTION ONE OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED  SEVENTY-FOUR
 OF THE LAWS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT.
 A. 8116                             3
 
   §  4. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law;  provided,  however,  that
 the  department of economic development, the New York state urban devel-
 opment corporation and the division of criminal justice  services  shall
 be immediately authorized to take any and all actions necessary to fully
 implement  the provisions of this act on such date; and further provided
 that the amendments to section 16-m of the urban development corporation
 act made by section two of this act shall not affect the  expiration  of
 such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.