Senator Martins: Senate Passes Mandate Relief Measure for Local Governments

Legislation Would Improve Efficiency by Streamlining Reporting Requirement for Localities

     Senator Jack M. Martins (R-7th Senate District) announced that the New York State Senate has passed legislation he sponsored to help ease the burden on local governments. The legislation would improve efficiency by streamlining financial reporting requirements for localities.

     “Right now, localities are being forced to file multiple versions of the same report with several different agencies. This not only wastes time, it raises costs. Allowing them to file one report digitally and giving access to all the necessary agencies will save taxpayer dollars and ease the burden on local governments,” said Senator Martins.

     Currently, all local government entities that receive federal dollars totaling more than $500,000 annually must file an audit with the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. The Federal Audit Clearinghouse is a digital repository for audit documents that all federal agencies access online. Additionally they must file individually with each state agency that acted as a conduit of federal funding to account for the expenditures of those funds. Because most of the aid that local governments receive comes in the form of small grants for a variety of purposes, localities must often file multiple documents with various state agencies.

     Senator Martins’ legislation (S298) would streamline the reporting requirements by allowing localities to file a single report with the federal Clearinghouse and authorize the necessary state agencies to view them. This would save localities money, staff resources, and time while ensuring continued transparency and disclosure.

     The legislation has been sent to the Assembly.