NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7594

Senate Bill S7594

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes the fire station construction grant program and the fire station construction fund; and makes an appropriation therefor

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to finance
Jul 10, 2023	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

2023-S7594 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3045
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Add §719, Exec L; add §99-qq, St Fin L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S7558, A8882

2023-S7594 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the fire station construction grant program and the fire station construction fund; makes an appropriation therefor.

2023-S7594 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7594

SPONSOR: HELMING
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the fire
station construction grant program; to amend the state finance law, in
relation to establishing the fire station construction fund; and making
an appropriation therefor

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section 719 to the Executive Law creating the fire
station construction grant program under the jurisdiction of the Commis-
sioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. This section
provides that grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, lays out
the parameters of applications for such grants, and establishes the
process by which the Commissioner is to award these grants. This section
also sets forth definitions.

Section 2 adds a new section 99-oo to the State Finance Law, which
creates the fire station construction fund necessary for the implementa-
tion of the grant program established in section 1 of this act. This

section establishes the guidelines on how the fund is administered.

Section 3 appropriates $10 million for the fire station construction
grant fund as created by this act.

Section 4 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Fire departments, both paid and volunteer, are among the most critical
public institutions in New York State and are the first line of defense
against deadly fires and, in many cases, are also responsible for
providing frontline healthcare service. Despite their critical role,
many departments - especially rural ones - are forced to make do with
less and spread both their dollars and physical space thin.  While many
fire departments are able to construct suitable buildings which can
accommodate the most modern firefighting equipment available, many fire
departments in remote or less-prosperous parts of our State use centu-
ry-old structures which are entirely unsuitable for 21st-century fire-
fighting equipment.

This legislation would create a competitive grant process Statewide
accessible to fire departments to help defray the costs of fire station
construction or renovation. Under this grant program, the governing
bodies of fire departments would apply to the Commissioner of Homeland
Security and Emergency Services, and such application would demonstrate
the need for the grant, what resources they have available, and other
similar concerns. Additionally, this legislation makes a $10 million
appropriation for the newly enacted fire station construction fund, with
the intent for such funding to become recurring as necessary.

This legislative framework is partially modeled after the highly
successful State aid for library construction. Under that program, capi-
tal funds are distributed to library systems to construct or renovate
library structures, with many of the organizations being primarily
volunteer-run. By creating a partly similar grant program for fire
departments, New York State can ensure that our communities have the
modernized infrastructure necessary for responding to emergencies and
saving lives.


 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S.7558 referred to Finance/A.8882 referred to Governmental
Operations

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$10 million upon enactment; subject to appropriations within the budget
process in subsequent years.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S7594 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7594
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               July 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the  fire
   station construction grant program; to amend the state finance law, in
   relation  to  establishing  the  fire  station  construction fund; and
   making an appropriation therefor
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 719 to
 read as follows:
   §  719.  FIRE  STATION  CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
 ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE  DIVISION  OF  HOMELAND  SECURITY  AND  EMERGENCY
 SERVICES A FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY
 THE  COMMISSIONER FOR THE PURPOSE OF AWARDING GRANTS TO FIRE DEPARTMENTS
 TO ASSIST IN DEFRAYING THE COSTS OF ELIGIBLE FIRE STATION PROJECTS.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS FROM ANY SOURCE APPROPRIATED
 OR OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, TO MAKE GRANTS FOR SUCH PURPOSE.
   2. PROJECT GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED ON A COMPETITIVE  BASIS  THROUGH  A
 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS WHICH SHALL SET FORTH THE STANDARDS FOR THE
 SELECTION  PROCESS, THE REQUIRED PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMAT, COSTS ELIGIBLE
 FOR FUNDING, PROJECT  IMPLEMENTATION  REQUIREMENTS,  REPORTING  REQUIRE-
 MENTS,  AND SUCH OTHER PROVISIONS AS THE COMMISSIONER MAY DEEM NECESSARY
 OR BENEFICIAL IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM. THE GOVERNING BODY OF A  FIRE
 DEPARTMENT  SEEKING  TO APPLY FOR A GRANT SHALL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON
 BEHALF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE COMMISSIONER. ALL SUCH APPLICATIONS
 SHALL HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, FINALIZED AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING  BOARD
 OF  THE  FIRE  DEPARTMENT  PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO THE COMMISSIONER. EACH
 SUCH APPLICATION SHALL:
   (A) DEMONSTRATE A SPECIFIC NEED GRANT FUNDS;
   (B) DEMONSTRATE THAT RESOURCES ARE OR SHALL BE  AVAILABLE  TO  PROVIDE
 FOR MAXIMUM UTILIZATION OF THE PROJECT IF THE GRANT IS APPROVED;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06567-01-3

 S. 7594                             2
 
   (C)  CONTAIN  VERIFICATION  IN  SUCH  FORM AS MAY BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE
 COMMISSIONER THAT THE TOTAL COST OF  THE  PROJECT,  EXCLUSIVE  OF  GRANT
 FUNDS,  HAS  BEEN OR WILL BE OBTAINED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN A TIMELY
 MANNER IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT;
   (D)  DEMONSTRATE  THAT  FIRE  STATION  OPERATIONS  WOULD  BE MADE MORE
 ECONOMICAL AS A CONSEQUENCE OF APPROVAL OF THE GRANT APPLICATION;
   (E) BE LIMITED TO ONE PROJECT CONCERNING A FIRE  DEPARTMENT  BUILDING,
 PROVIDED THAT NO BUILDING SHALL BE THE SUBJECT OF MORE THAN ONE APPLICA-
 TION PER YEAR; AND
   (F)  PROVIDE  SUCH OTHER INFORMATION AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE COMMIS-
 SIONER.
   3.  SUBJECT  TO  AVAILABILITY  OF  FUNDS  WITHIN  THE   FIRE   STATION
 CONSTRUCTION  FUND  ESTABLISHED  BY  SECTION NINETY-NINE-QQ OF THE STATE
 FINANCE LAW, THE COMMISSIONER MAY AWARD GRANTS FOR  UP  TO  SEVENTY-FIVE
 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL PROJECT APPROVED COSTS OF A PROJECT.
   4.  IN  APPROVING ANY APPLICATION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSIDER THE
 CONDITION OF THE EXISTING FIRE STATION BUILDING THAT IS THE  SUBJECT  OF
 THE APPLICATION AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE NEEDS OF ISOLATED OR ECONOM-
 ICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. NO APPLICATION SHALL BE APPROVED FOR A
 PROJECT  THAT IS DEEMED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO HAVE BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR
 TO THE DATE OF THE APPLICATION.
   5. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
   (A) "FIRE DEPARTMENT" MEANS A PAID OR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT,  FIRE
 COMPANY  OR  FIRE  DISTRICT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF ONE OR MORE
 MUNICIPAL FIRE STATIONS.
   (B) "ELIGIBLE FIRE STATION PROJECT" OR "PROJECT" MEANS A  PROJECT  FOR
 THE  ACQUISITION,  CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION OR REHABILITATION, INCLUDING
 LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS, OF  BUILDINGS  OWNED  AND  UTILIZED  BY  A  FIRE
 DEPARTMENT  IN  THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY SERVED BY THE
 FIRE DEPARTMENT OR AN  INFRASTRUCTURE  IMPROVEMENT  TO  SUCH  BUILDINGS.
 INFRASTRUCTURE  IMPROVEMENTS MAY INCLUDE UPGRADED ELECTRICAL OR COMMUNI-
 CATIONS EQUIPMENT. "ELIGIBLE FIRE STATION PROJECT" OR "PROJECT" DOES NOT
 INCLUDE FEASIBILITY STUDIES,  PLANS,  INVESTIGATIONS  OR  OTHER  SIMILAR
 UNDERTAKINGS.
   6. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE
 PURPOSES AND PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-qq to
 read as follows:
   §  99-QQ.  FIRE  STATION  CONSTRUCTION FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB-
 LISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSION-
 ER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES A SPECIAL
 FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE "FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION FUND".
   2. MONEYS OF THE FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION FUND SHALL BE AVAILABLE  TO
 THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
 SERVICES FOR  THE  ADMINISTRATION  AND  PURPOSES  OF  THE  FIRE  STATION
 CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED NINETEEN
 OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
   3.  THE  FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS APPROPRIATED FOR ITS PURPOSE
 AND ALL OTHER MONEYS CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND
 OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.
   4. MONEYS IN THE FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION FUND SHALL  BE  KEPT  SEPA-
 RATELY  FROM  AND  SHALL  NOT BE COMMINGLED WITH ANY OTHER MONEYS IN THE
 JOINT OR SOLE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER OR  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.
   5.  MONEYS IN THE FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION FUND SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM
 THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER  ON  VOUCHERS
 S. 7594                             3
 
 APPROVED  AND  CERTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND
 SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICE.
   §  3. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may  be  necessary,  is  hereby  appropriated  to  the  fire  station
 construction fund out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general
 fund  to  the credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise appro-
 priated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying out
 the provisions of this act.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7594

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Sponsored By

Pamela Helming