S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3443
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 9, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered printed,
         and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Econom-
         ic Development and Small Business
       AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in  relation  to  creating
         the micro business outreach center assistance program
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The economic development law is amended  by  adding  a  new
    2  article 9-B to read as follows:
    3                                  ARTICLE 9-B
    4              MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
    5  SECTION 216. DEFINITIONS.
    6          217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
    7          218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK.
    8          219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
    9    S  216.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING
   10  TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   11    1. "MICRO BUSINESS" SHALL MEAN A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP,  PARTNERSHIP  OR
   12  FAMILY BUSINESS THAT HAS FEWER THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES.
   13    2.  "MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH CENTERS" SHALL MEAN A BUSINESS OUTREACH
   14  CENTER THAT SERVES THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF  SPECIFIC  COMMUNI-
   15  TIES.
   16    3.  "MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK" SHALL MEAN A NETWORK OF
   17  BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS THAT PROVIDES SERVICES THROUGHOUT A REGION AND
   18  HELPS DEVELOP  AND  ASSIST  INDIVIDUAL  MICRO-ENTERPRISE/SMALL  BUSINESS
   19  DEVELOPMENT   ORGANIZATIONS  IN  THE  DELIVERY  OF  CUSTOMIZED  BUSINESS
   20  SERVICES TO ENTREPRENEURS, AS  WELL  AS  CAPACITY-BUILDING  SERVICES  TO
   21  ORGANIZATIONS  ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING COMMUNITY AND MICRO-ENTERPRISE
   22  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
   23    S 217. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED
   24  WITHIN THE  DEPARTMENT  A  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTER  ASSISTANCE
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02739-01-5
       S. 3443                             2
    1  PROGRAM.  THE  DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED, TO
    2  PROVIDE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO  BUSINESS
    3  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
    4  ACTIVITIES:
    5    (A)  TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN SETTING UP, OR TO
    6  ASSIST THE CENTER IN HELPING  LOCAL  SPONSOR  ORGANIZATIONS  AND/OR  NEW
    7  ORGANIZATIONS  TO  SET UP ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS, IN
    8  GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM EACH  OTHER
    9  BUT  ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
   10  SUCH CENTER;
   11    (B) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IN PROVIDING AID  FOR
   12  THE  OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH
   13  CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE  OF  ITS
   14  PRESENTLY EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS; AND
   15    (C)  TO  ASSIST  THE  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTER  TO EXPAND THE
   16  CENTER'S COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  ACTIVITIES
   17  AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
   18    2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
   19  ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS  OUTREACH
   20  CENTERS  NETWORK.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
   21  AND DESIGNATION OF SUCH MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTERS  WHICH  SHALL
   22  INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   23    (A)  COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
   24  THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
   25    (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK  OF  CLIENT  INFORMATION  SYSTEMS,  REGIONAL
   26  LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
   27    (C)  A  MODEL  THAT  MAXIMIZES  THE  EFFICIENT  USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
   28  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES,  ADDRESSES  THE  RECOGNIZED  NEED  FOR
   29  PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
   30    (D)  FACILITATING  ACCESS  TO  THE  COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
   31  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
   32  NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
   33    3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS  WILL  ENABLE  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
   34  PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
   35  SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH  THE  SAME,  THE
   36  COMMISSIONER  MAY  REQUEST  THE  ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
   37  CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
   38    S 218. MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER  NETWORK.  1.  THERE  IS  HEREBY
   39  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT  A  MICRO  BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER
   40  NETWORK. THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED  WITHIN  AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED  TO
   41  PROVIDE  DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MICRO BUSINESS
   42  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE FOLLOWING
   43  ACTIVITIES:
   44    (A) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER  NETWORK  IN  SETTING
   45  UP,  OR  TO  ASSIST  THE  CENTER  IN HELPING LOCAL SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS
   46  AND/OR NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH
   47  CENTERS, IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE THAT ARE WIDELY-SEPARATED FROM
   48  EACH OTHER BUT ARE IN NEED OF, AND WOULD LIKELY BENEFIT FROM, THE ESTAB-
   49  LISHMENT OF SUCH CENTER;
   50    (B)  TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK IN PROVIDING
   51  AID FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL  MICRO  BUSINESS
   52  OUTREACH CENTERS SO CREATED AS WELL AS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
   53  OF  ITS  PRESENTLY  EXISTING AFFILIATED MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS;
   54  AND
       S. 3443                             3
    1    (C) TO ASSIST THE MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK TO EXPAND THE
    2  CENTER'S  COORDINATION OF NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
    3  AMONG ALL MICRO BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.
    4    2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE MONIES, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRI-
    5  ATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNITY NEED FOR THE MICRO BUSINESS  OUTREACH
    6  CENTERS  NETWORK.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
    7  AND DESTINATION OF SUCH MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH  CENTERS  WHICH  SHALL
    8  INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
    9    (A)  COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND/OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED FROM
   10  THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY;
   11    (B) A COORDINATED NETWORK  OF  CLIENT  INFORMATION  SYSTEMS,  REGIONAL
   12  LINKAGES, AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES;
   13    (C)  A  MODEL  THAT  MAXIMIZES  THE  EFFICIENT  USE OF SCARCE EXISTING
   14  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES,  ADDRESSES  THE  RECOGNIZED  NEED  FOR
   15  PRE-LOAN AND POST LOAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROWING SMALL BUSINESS;
   16    (D)  FACILITATING  ACCESS  TO  THE  COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC
   17  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, CONNECTING SMALL BUSI-
   18  NESS TO NEEDED INFORMATION AND CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
   19    3. ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS  WILL  ENABLE  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
   20  PROPERLY  CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE
   21  SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND TO ACCOMPLISH  THE  SAME,  THE
   22  COMMISSIONER  MAY  REQUEST  THE  ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES AND PUBLIC
   23  CORPORATIONS AND DISTRICTS.
   24    S 219. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MONITOR THE  EFFEC-
   25  TIVENESS OF THE DIRECT TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IT PROVIDES TO
   26  THE  MICRO  BUSINESS  OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK, INCORPORATED, IN ORDER TO
   27  DETERMINE AND REPORT TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOALS SPECIFIED IN THIS  SECTION
   28  HAVE  BEEN  ACHIEVED.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  MAKE AND FILE AN ANNUAL
   29  REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF
   30  THE ASSEMBLY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS  FOLLOWING  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  STATE'S
   31  FISCAL  YEAR  CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF SUCH MONITORING PURSUANT TO THIS
   32  SECTION. SUCH ANNUAL REPORT SHALL CONTAIN  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  FURTHER
   33  LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE IF IN THE JUDGMENT
   34  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER NEW LEGISLATION TO FURTHER EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES
   35  OF THIS ARTICLE IS WARRANTED.
   36    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   37  it shall have become a law.