BILL NUMBER: S9144

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to money credited to
the spinal cord injury research trust fund

 
PURPOSE:

To uncap the amount of funds that flow into the spinal cord injury
research trust fund

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 2 of section 99-f of the state finance law
to uncap the funds flow and convert the language to a minimum amount of
eight million five hundred thousand dollars.

Section 2 is the immediate effective date

 
              

JUSTIFICATION:

The Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) was established in 1998
through the advocacy of actor Christopher Reeve and New York State
Police Sergeant Paul Richter, who was shot and partially paralyzed from
the neck down. Since most spinal cord injuries result from vehicle acci-
dents, the Legislature decided to fund the research program through a
surcharge on moving traffic violation violations.  The implementing
legislation put a statutory cap of $8.5 million from this surcharge to
be devoted to SCIRP which was based on projections for how much the
surcharge would generate.

However, the surcharge currently generates over an estimated $150
million for the state, of which currently only $8.5 million per year
(<5%) is devoted to the Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund.
Further, the SCIRP has not seen an increase since its inception, in
part, due to the statutory cap.

The cap is hindering future research. We should be looking at ways to
promote and fund this incredible research where we have seen significant
advances in scientific results. The research has led to critical clin-
ical breakthroughs that have allowed individuals with spinal cord injury
to regain use of their arms and hands, enhancing their quality of life
and giving them the opportunity to return to work and the activities
they love.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately