Bill Text: NY A08121 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to reviews by the authorities budget office; grants the authorities budget office the authority to commence an action or special proceeding to annul the corporate existence or dissolve a corporation that has acted beyond its capacity or power; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-14 - reported referred to codes [A08121 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08121-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8121

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    October 13, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. THIELE, OTIS, BRONSON -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

        AN ACT to amend the public authorities law and the not-for-profit corpo-
          ration law, in relation to reviews by the  authorities  budget  office
          and  granting  the authorities budget office the authority to commence
          an action or special proceeding to annul the  corporate  existence  or
          dissolve  a corporation that has acted beyond its capacity or power or
          to restrain it from carrying on unauthorized activities

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  public  authorities  law  is amended by adding a new
     2  section 8 to read as follows:
     3    § 8. Reports of  public  authorities  by  authorities  budget  office;
     4  recommendations  for  corrective action. Whenever the authorities budget
     5  office issues a letter or report regarding the activities and operations
     6  of any public authority, the head of  the  public  authority  which  the
     7  letter or report was about shall submit a written response to the letter
     8  or  report within thirty days of the receipt of the letter or report. If
     9  the letter or report makes recommendations for corrective  action,  such
    10  head  shall  report within one hundred eighty days after receipt thereof
    11  to the authorities budget office what steps were taken to implement such
    12  recommendations, and, where recommendations were  not  implemented,  the
    13  reasons  therefor. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section
    14  shall make the authority delinquent in its reporting requirements.
    15    § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 2800 of the public authorities  law,  as
    16  amended  by  chapter  766  of  the  laws  of 2005, is amended to read as
    17  follows:
    18    3. Every financial  report  submitted  under  this  section  shall  be
    19  approved  by the board and shall be certified, under penalty of perjury,
    20  in writing by the chief executive officer and the chief financial  offi-
    21  cer  of  such  authority  that  based on the officer's knowledge (a) the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11219-01-3

        A. 8121                             2

     1  information provided therein is accurate, correct and does  not  contain
     2  any  untrue  statement  of material fact; (b) does not omit any material
     3  fact which, if omitted, would  cause  the  financial  statements  to  be
     4  misleading in light of the circumstances under which such statements are
     5  made;  and  (c)  fairly  presents in all material respects the financial
     6  condition and results of operations of the authority as of, and for, the
     7  periods presented in the financial statements.   A knowing  and  willful
     8  violation of this section shall constitute perjury in the third degree.
     9    §  3.  Subdivision 2 of section 2824 of the public authorities law, as
    10  added by section 766 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
    11    2. (a) Individuals appointed to the board of a public authority  shall
    12  participate in state approved training regarding their legal, fiduciary,
    13  financial  and  ethical  responsibilities  as  directors of an authority
    14  within one year of appointment to a board. Board members  shall  partic-
    15  ipate  in such continuing training as may be required to remain informed
    16  of best practices, regulatory and  statutory  changes  relating  to  the
    17  effective oversight of the management and financial activities of public
    18  authorities and to adhere to the highest standards of responsible gover-
    19  nance.
    20    (b) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a member in non-com-
    21  pliance with the requirements set forth in this section shall be subject
    22  to  the  enforcement  powers of the authorities budget office, including
    23  but not limited to removal from the board of said public  authority.  If
    24  an  individual  appointed  to  the  board of a public authority does not
    25  complete their state approved training pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
    26  subdivision the authority budget office shall notify said individual  of
    27  their official suspension as a board member. The suspension shall be for
    28  a  period  of  three  months and shall commence with receipt of official
    29  notice of the suspension by the authorities budget office.  The  suspen-
    30  sion  shall  be  terminated  if  such  individual completes the required
    31  training within the three month suspension period.  If  such  individual
    32  fails  to  complete the required training within the three month suspen-
    33  sion period, the authorities budget office  may  remove  the  individual
    34  from the public authority board.
    35    (c)  An individual that has been removed from a public authority board
    36  by the authorities budget office  pursuant  to  paragraph  (b)  of  this
    37  subdivision,  may only be reinstated to that public authority board once
    38  they provide the authorities budget office with official notice confirm-
    39  ing the training requirements set forth in paragraph (a) of this  subdi-
    40  vision have been met.
    41    §  4.  Section 104 of the not-for-profit corporation law is amended by
    42  adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
    43    (h) If an instrument which is delivered to the department of state for
    44  filing relates to  a  not-for-profit  corporation  created  pursuant  to
    45  section fourteen hundred eleven of this chapter or to an entity that may
    46  be deemed a local authority as defined by subdivision two of section two
    47  of  the  public  authorities law, the  department of state shall review,
    48  make, certify and transmit electronically a copy of each such instrument
    49  relating to local economic development to the authorities budget office.
    50    § 5. Paragraphs (i) and (j) of subdivision  2  of  section  6  of  the
    51  public authorities law, as added by chapter 506 of the laws of 2009, are
    52  amended and a new paragraph (k) is added to read as follows:
    53    (i)  compel any authority which is deemed to be in non-compliance with
    54  this title and title one of this article or article nine of this chapter
    55  to submit to the authorities budget office  a  detailed  explanation  of
    56  such failure to comply; [and]

        A. 8121                             3

     1    (j)  commence  a special proceeding in supreme court, when it does not
     2  receive from a state or local authority upon request information, books,
     3  records or other documentation necessary to perform its duties,  seeking
     4  an order directing the production of the same[.]; and
     5    (k)  commence  an  action or special proceeding to annul the corporate
     6  existence or dissolve a corporation that has acted beyond  its  capacity
     7  or power or to restrain it from carrying on unauthorized activities.
     8    §  6.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
     9  have become a law.
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