NY Exec L § 164-B (2021)
2021 New York Laws EXC - Executive Article 7 - Miscellaneous Provisions 164-B - State Aid to Rural Areas: Agency Reports.

§ 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.