S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8136
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             October 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SMULLEN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Economic Development
 
 AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
   relation to establishing the rural equity assistance program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting
 the New York state urban development  corporation  act,  is  amended  by
 adding a new section 16-ii to read as follows:
   § 16-II.  RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.  1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION
 THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "RURAL AREA" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM  IS  DEFINED
 IN SUBDIVISION 8 OF SECTION 260 OF THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS LAW.
   (B)  "SMALL  TOWN" MEANS A TOWN IN THE STATE WITH A POPULATION OF LESS
 THAN 5,000 AT THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT UNITED  STATES  CENSUS  BUREAU
 DECENNIAL CENSUS.
   (C) "MUNICIPALITY" MEANS A CITY, COUNTY, TOWN, VILLAGE, OR OTHER POLI-
 TICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK LOCATED WITHIN A RURAL AREA.
   (D)  "NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION" MEANS A DOMESTIC CORPORATION INCOR-
 PORATED PURSUANT TO OR OTHERWISE SUBJECT TO  THE  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPO-
 RATION LAW.
   2.  THERE  IS  HEREBY CREATED WITHIN THE CORPORATION, THE RURAL EQUITY
 ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO PROMOTE  AND  FACILITATE  COMMUNITY  AND  ECONOMIC
 DEVELOPMENT  IN  THE SMALL TOWNS AND RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE. THE RURAL
 EQUITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SHALL COLLABORATE WITH  MUNICIPALITIES,  BUSI-
 NESSES,  REGIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  CORPORATIONS, NOT-FOR-PROFITS, AND OTHER
 APPROPRIATE ENTITIES TO ACCESS FUNDING AND OTHER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO
 RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE.
   3. (A) THE RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING
 SERVICES TO SMALL TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES IN RURAL AREAS:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11439-02-3
 A. 8136                             2
              

 
   (I) IDENTIFICATION OF GRANTS OR OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES  AVAILABLE
 WHICH  MAY  FACILITATE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SITING OF BUSINESSES, WORK-
 FORCE DEVELOPMENT, BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT,  OR
 OTHER ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES; AND
   (II) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN WRITING GRANTS, ACCESSING, AND COMPLETING
 THE  APPLICATION PROCESS FOR IDENTIFIED GRANTS OR OTHER FUNDING OPPORTU-
 NITIES, INCLUDING WRITING APPLICATIONS  FOR  GRANTS  OR  OTHER  FUNDING,
 COORDINATION  WITH PROVIDERS OF GRANTS OR OTHER FUNDING, STRATEGIC PLAN-
 NING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OR TIMING OF ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY GRANTS  OR
 OTHER  FUNDING,  AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF GRANT AWARDS OR
 AWARDS OF OTHER FUNDING.
   (B) THE RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  SHALL  PROVIDE  SMALL  TOWNS,
 MUNICIPALITIES,  AND  NOT-FOR-PROFITS  IN  RURAL  AREAS WITH SERVICES TO
 FACILITATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN  SUCH  AREAS.  THESE  SERVICES  SHALL
 INCLUDE,  BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO RECOMMENDING AVAILABLE GRANTS, TAX CRED-
 ITS, OR OTHER INCENTIVES THAT A SMALL TOWN, MUNICIPALITY OR NOT-FOR-PRO-
 FIT IN A RURAL AREA CAN USE  TO  ATTRACT  BUSINESSES,  SUPPORT  EXISTING
 BUSINESSES  AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS IN THAT COMMU-
 NITY.
   (C) IN PROVIDING SERVICES UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION, RURAL EQUITY ASSIST-
 ANCE CENTERS, AS ESTABLISHED IN SUBDIVISION 4  OF  THIS  SECTION,  SHALL
 COORDINATE  WITH  THE  REGIONAL  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WITHIN THE
 SAME REGION TO AVOID DUPLICATION OF BUSINESS RECRUITMENT  AND  WORKFORCE
 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ALREADY PROVIDED.
   4.  (A)  THE  EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS HEREBY EMPOWERED
 AND SHALL ESTABLISH RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTERS IN EACH OF  THE  TEN
 ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT REGIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. RURAL EQUITY ASSIST-
 ANCE CENTERS SHALL:
   (I) SERVE AS A CENTER FOR INFORMATION REGARDING  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT
 RESOURCES  AVAILABLE  FROM THE STATE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AGENCIES
 AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT;
   (II) COORDINATE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES  OF
 STATE AGENCIES AND AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE REGION;
   (III)  PROVIDE  OR  ARRANGE  FOR  ASSISTANCE  FOR SMALL TOWNS, MUNICI-
 PALITIES, AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS IN RURAL AREAS OF THE  STATE  IN  APPLYING
 FOR ASSISTANCE FROM STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL AND/OR PRIVATE ECONOMIC DEVEL-
 OPMENT PROGRAMS; AND
   (IV)  PROVIDE  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING FOR NECESSARY LICENSES
 OR PERMITS TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL,  STATE,  OR  LOCAL  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS.
   (B)  EACH  RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTER SHALL CONSIST OF A DEDICATED
 REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT  CORPORATION,  A  GRANT
 WRITER,  AND  ALL  NECESSARY  STAFF TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES OF THE RURAL
 EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTER. ALL COSTS TO OPERATE  SUCH  CENTERS  SHALL  BE
 PAID FOR OUT OF EXISTING RESOURCES OF THE CORPORATION.
   (C)  APPLICATIONS  FOR ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE RURAL EQUITY ASSIST-
 ANCE PROGRAM SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE RURAL  EQUITY  ASSISTANCE  CENTER
 FOR  THAT  REGION, FOR NO FEE. IN PROVIDING SERVICES UNDER THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, A RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTER SHALL GIVE PRIORITY  TO  PROJECTS
 THAT  HAVE  RECEIVED  NECESSARY STATE OR MUNICIPAL APPROVAL AND THAT ARE
 READY FOR CONSTRUCTION OR IMPLEMENTATION.
   5. BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2025, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER,  THE  PRESI-
 DENT  OF  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR, SPEAKER OF THE
 ASSEMBLY, MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE
 SENATE, AND MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, A REPORT REGARDING THE ACTIV-
 ITIES  AND  PROGRESS  OF THE RURAL EQUITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE REPORT
 A. 8136                             3
 
 SHALL SUMMARIZE THE PROGRAM'S ACTIVITIES FROM THE PRECEDING YEAR; EVALU-
 ATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE  PROGRAM;  PROVIDE
 AN  ACCOUNTING  OF  THE GRANTS OR OTHER FUNDING THAT THE PROGRAM FACILI-
 TATED  OR  HELPED  SECURE;  AND  RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM TO
 FURTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SMALL TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES IN  RURAL
 AREAS OF THE STATE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.