§ 164-b. State aid to rural areas: agency reports. 1. Legislative
intent. The legislature hereby finds, declares and determines that:

(a) enhanced access to financial and technical assistance available
from state agencies is of great significance to rural communities;

(b) grants and other forms of state assistance are not always easily
attainable by rural areas with the greatest need;

(c) rural areas across the state continue to suffer from high levels
of unemployment and poverty, limited access to health care and other
human services, individual isolation, shortfalls in family income and
educational attainment, as well as the inability to undertake
infrastructure investment and business development;

(d) rural communities often lack sufficient expertise and staff to
prepare and process applications for aid, as well as address the
requirements associated with administration of any proceeds. This,
coupled with disproportionate competition with large metropolitan and
suburban communities for a diminishing number of grants often places a
rural community at a disadvantage when attempting to advance the
betterment of its citizens;

(e) improved awareness of the ways state agencies provide financial
and technical assistance would enhance opportunities for rural areas to
make use of such resources, strengthening their ability to respond to
modern challenges.

2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Rural area" shall mean those portions of the state so defined by
subdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one of this chapter;

(b) "State agency" shall mean the following: office for the aging,
department of agriculture and markets, office of alcoholism and
substance abuse services, department of economic development, department
of education, department of environmental conservation, environmental
facilities corporation, department of health, division of housing and
community renewal, job development authority, office of mental health,
office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, department of
social services, department of state, department of transportation,
urban development corporation, and the division for youth;

(c) "Set-aside" shall mean a direct commitment of financial and/or
technical assistance by state agencies specifically for rural areas as
herein defined;

(d) "Rural program development" means the systematic identification of
special service needs of rural areas by a state agency and the
utilization of said agency's financial, technical and other available
resources to help meet such need;

(e) "Rural advisory committee" means a committee created pursuant to
statute or through administrative action by a state agency for the
purposes of assisting such agency to develop and implement programs for
rural areas;

(f) "Regulatory flexibility" means the conscious consideration of the
ability of affected individuals and/or groups in rural areas to respond
to state agency rules and regulations and the state agency's attempt to
mitigate any negative impacts which may result from such requirements on
said individuals and/or groups.

3. Annual reports of state agencies.

(a) In addition to any existing requirements of state agencies for the
submission of annual reports, such agencies shall also annually provide:

(i) a listing and description of any set-asides for rural areas in New
York state. Such reports shall include the number of applications
submitted, the number of applications approved, and the proportionate
share of dollars and/or technical assistance rendered to public and/or
private sector interests within rural areas of the state;

(ii) a listing and description of the activities and participation of
any rural advisory committees which directly serve such agency, or of
which the agency is a member;

(iii) a listing and description of existing and/or new rural program
development efforts within the agency, or of which the agency is a part;

(iv) a description of existing and/or new rule-making or regulatory
flexibility afforded to rural areas of the state; and

(v) recommendations for any statutory change, as well as financial and
other resources to improve state agency assistance and responsiveness to
rural areas of the state.

(b) In a form prescribed by the governor, all state agencies, as
defined in this section, shall report the annual information required in
paragraph (a) of this subdivision to the governor, with a copy also
submitted to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the
senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the minority leader of the
senate, and the chairman and vice-chairman of the New York state
legislative commission on the development of rural resources established
pursuant to chapter four hundred twenty-eight of the laws of nineteen
hundred eighty-two. The first such report shall be submitted on or
before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-six.