New York State Assembly

 
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S06856 Summary:

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S06856 Floor Votes:

S06856 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         6856--A
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                      March 1, 2016
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen. MARTINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
          Parks and Recreation -- committee discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN  ACT  to create a temporary New York State World War I 100th anniver-
          sary commemoration commission; and providing for  the  termination  of
          such commission
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Legislative findings. The  legislature  hereby  finds  that
     2  Armistice  Day  has  been  marked on November 11th every year since 1918
     3  commemorating the day the Allied forces signed  an  agreement  with  the
     4  Germans  that  would end World War I. The cost in human suffering during
     5  World War I,  originally  known  as  the  Great  War,  was  on  a  scale
     6  unprecedented  in  human history. Between 1914 and 1918, there were over
     7  37 million casualties with over 13,000 New Yorkers losing  their  lives.
     8  Among  the noteworthy New York regiments fighting in World War I include
     9  New York's 69th Infantry Regiment, referred to as  the  "Fighting  69th"
    10  and  New  York's 369th Infantry Regiment, popularly known as the "Harlem
    11  Hellfighters", the first African American regiment  to  serve  with  the
    12  American  Expeditionary  Forces  during  World  War I. There are several
    13  sites in New York with historical significance to World War I including:
    14  the Pier A clock tower in Battery Park, the armory of the 14th New  York
    15  regiment in Park Slope, the Chelsea World War I statute on 9th and 28th,
    16  the 7th Regiment statute in Central Park, the Brooklyn World War I memo-
    17  rial  in Prospect Park, the Richmond Hill statute in Queens, and others.
    18  The legislature, therefore, declares that there is a need  to  create  a
    19  New York State World War I 100th anniversary commemoration commission to
    20  develop  and  execute  plans for projects and activities recognizing the
    21  100th year anniversary of World War I, with particular emphasis on those
    22  New Yorkers who made the supreme sacrifice and those who  returned  home
    23  wounded.
    24    §  2.  New  York  State  World  War  I 100th anniversary commemoration
    25  commission created. (1) There is hereby a temporary state commission  to
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14441-02-6
        S. 6856--A                          2
 
     1  be  known  as  the "New York State World War I 100th anniversary commem-
     2  oration commission".
     3    (2)  Definitions. As used in this act: "Commission" means the New York
     4  State World War I 100th anniversary commemoration commission created  by
     5  this section.
     6    (3) Tasks. The Commission is charged with the following duties:
     7    a.  To plan, develop and execute programs, projects, and activities to
     8  commemorate the centennial of World War I and New York's and  New  York-
     9  ers' role in it;
    10    b.  To  encourage  private  organizations,  state  agencies, and local
    11  government in New York to organize and participate in activities commem-
    12  orating the centennial of World War I;
    13    c. Assist with efforts to protect, improve,  and  develop  educational
    14  and interpretive institutions, sites, and museums related to World War I
    15  for educational, recreational, and tourism purposes; and
    16    d.  Perform  other  actions  necessary  to carry out the duties of the
    17  Commission.
    18    (4) Membership:
    19    a. The Commission shall consist of  11  members  to  be  appointed  as
    20  follows:  The  commissioner  of  the department of parks, recreation and
    21  historic preservation or his or her duly designated representative,  the
    22  commissioner  of  the  department of education or his or her duly desig-
    23  nated representative, the commissioner of  the  department  of  economic
    24  development  or  his  or  her  duly designated representative, and eight
    25  at-large members, of which, two members shall be appointed by the gover-
    26  nor, two members shall be appointed by the temporary  president  of  the
    27  senate,  two  members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly,
    28  one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the  senate  and
    29  one  member  shall  be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
    30  The commissioner of the department of  parks,  recreation  and  historic
    31  preservation or his or her duly designated representative shall serve as
    32  chairperson  of  the Commission. The eight appointed members shall serve
    33  at the pleasure of the appointing official. Vacancies shall be filled in
    34  the manner provided for original appointments.
    35    b. The members of the Commission shall  receive  no  compensation  for
    36  their services.
    37    c.  Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special
    38  or local law, ordinance, resolution or charter, no  officer,  member  or
    39  employee  of the state or of any public corporation shall forfeit his or
    40  her office or employment by reason of his or her acceptance of  appoint-
    41  ment as a member of the Commission, nor shall service as such Commission
    42  member be deemed incompatible or in conflict with such office or employ-
    43  ment.
    44    d.  The Commission shall appoint, designate, or remove such staff from
    45  the Commission as may be necessary to carry out its duties and  perform-
    46  ance of its functions, from current state agency personnel.
    47    e.  The  Commission  may  meet and hold public and/or private hearings
    48  within or without the state, and shall have all the powers of a legisla-
    49  tive committee pursuant to the legislative law; except it shall not have
    50  the power to issue subpoenas pursuant to section 62-a of the legislative
    51  law.
    52    f. The Commission may request and shall receive from any  subdivision,
    53  department,  board, commission, office, agency, or other instrumentality
    54  of the state or of any political subdivision  thereof  such  facilities,
    55  assistance  and  data  as it deems necessary or desirable for the proper
        S. 6856--A                          3
 
     1  execution of its powers and duties and to effectuate  the  purposes  set
     2  forth in this act.
     3    g. The Commission is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into any
     4  agreements and to do and perform any acts that may be necessary, desira-
     5  ble or proper to carry out the purposes and objectives of this act.
     6    (5)  Action  Plan: By June 30th, 2017, the Commission shall present to
     7  the Governor and Legislature an Action Plan to achieve the  Commission's
     8  tasks.  The  report  shall  contain  recommendations  to commemorate the
     9  centennial of World War I.  The Commission shall update the Action  Plan
    10  as necessary.
    11    (6)  Termination:  The  Commission  shall  continue in existence until
    12  November 12, 2018 at which time it shall be deemed to be repealed.
    13    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.