N.Y. EXC Law § 164-B — New York Code / Act EXC / Article 7 / Section 164-B
State aid to rural areas: agency reports
Status: in_force

§ 164-b. State aid to rural areas: agency reports.  1. Legislative\nintent. The legislature hereby finds, declares and determines that:\n  (a) enhanced access to financial and technical assistance available\nfrom state agencies is of great significance to rural communities;\n  (b) grants and other forms of state assistance are not always easily\nattainable by rural areas with the greatest need;\n  (c) rural areas across the state continue to suffer from high levels\nof unemployment and poverty, limited access to health care and other\nhuman services, individual isolation, shortfalls in family income and\neducational attainment, as well as the inability to undertake\ninfrastructure investment and business development;\n  (d) rural communities often lack sufficient expertise and staff to\nprepare and process applications for aid, as well as address the\nrequirements associated with administration of any proceeds. This,\ncoupled with disproportionate competition with large metropolitan and\nsuburban communities for a diminishing number of grants often places a\nrural community at a disadvantage when attempting to advance the\nbetterment of its citizens;\n  (e) improved awareness of the ways state agencies provide financial\nand technical assistance would enhance opportunities for rural areas to\nmake use of such resources, strengthening their ability to respond to\nmodern challenges.\n  2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms\nshall have the following meanings:\n  (a) "Rural area" shall mean those portions of the state so defined by\nsubdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one of this chapter;\n  (b) "State agency" shall mean the following: office for the aging,\ndepartment of agriculture and markets, office of alcoholism and\nsubstance abuse services, department of economic development, department\nof education, department of environmental conservation, environmental\nfacilities corporation, department of health, division of housing and\ncommunity renewal, job development authority, office of mental health,\noffice of parks, recreation and historic preservation, department of\nsocial services, department of state, department of transportation,\nurban development corporation, and the division for youth;\n  (c) "Set-aside" shall mean a direct commitment of financial and/or\ntechnical assistance by state agencies specifically for rural areas as\nherein defined;\n  (d) "Rural program development" means the systematic identification of\nspecial service needs of rural areas by a state agency and the\nutilization of said agency's financial, technical and other available\nresources to help meet such need;\n  (e) "Rural advisory committee" means a committee created pursuant to\nstatute or through administrative action by a state agency for the\npurposes of assisting such agency to develop and implement programs for\nrural areas;\n  (f) "Regulatory flexibility" means the conscious consideration of the\nability of affected individuals and/or groups in rural areas to respond\nto state agency rules and regulations and the state agency's attempt to\nmitigate any negative impacts which may result from such requirements on\nsaid individuals and/or groups.\n  3. Annual reports of state agencies.\n  (a) In addition to any existing requirements of state agencies for the\nsubmission of annual reports, such agencies shall also annually provide:\n  (i) a listing and description of any set-asides for rural areas in New\nYork state. Such reports shall include the number of applications\nsubmitted, the number of applications approved, and the proportionate\nshare of dollars and/or technical assistance rendered to public and/or\nprivate sector interests within rural areas of the state;\n  (ii) a listing and description of the activities and participation of\nany rural advisory committees which directly serve such agency, or of\nwhich the agency is a member;\n  (iii) a listing and description of existing and/or new rural program\ndevelopment efforts within the agency, or of which the agency is a part;\n  (iv) a description of existing and/or new rule-making or regulatory\nflexibility afforded to rural areas of the state; and\n  (v) recommendations for any statutory change, as well as financial and\nother resources to improve state agency assistance and responsiveness to\nrural areas of the state.\n  (b) In a form prescribed by the governor, all state agencies, as\ndefined in this section, shall report the annual information required in\nparagraph (a) of this subdivision to the governor, with a copy also\nsubmitted to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the\nsenate, the minority leader of the assembly, the minority leader of the\nsenate, and the chairman and vice-chairman of the New York state\nlegislative commission on the development of rural resources established\npursuant to chapter four hundred twenty-eight of the laws of nineteen\nhundred eighty-two. The first such report shall be submitted on or\nbefore January first, nineteen hundred ninety-six.\n