Bill Text: NY S08977 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes the transfer of unappropriated state lands for mental health, developmental disability, park, recreation, playground, reforestation, public education, public safety, street or highway purposes to political subdivisions, fire companies, and voluntary ambulance services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-05-23 - referred to governmental operations [S08977 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S08977-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8977

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 3, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  SKOUFIS  --  (at  request of the Office of General
          Services) -- read twice and ordered printed, and when  printed  to  be
          committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the public lands law, in relation to the transfer of
          unappropriated state lands for mental health, developmental  disabili-
          ty,  park,  recreation,  playground,  reforestation, public education,
          public safety, street or highway purposes

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

     1    Section  1. The section heading and subdivision 1 of section 34 of the
     2  public lands law, as amended by chapter 703 of the  laws  of  1994,  are
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    Transfer  of  unappropriated  state  lands  for mental health, [mental
     5  retardation] developmental  disability,  park,  recreation,  playground,
     6  reforestation,  public  education,  public  safety,  street,  or highway
     7  purposes. 1. [Such] The commissioner of general services may, from  time
     8  to  time,  transfer and convey to a city, incorporated village, town, or
     9  county, or, as defined in section one hundred of the  general  municipal
    10  law,  to  a  political subdivision, fire company, or voluntary ambulance
    11  service, in consideration of one dollar to be paid to the state  of  New
    12  York,  and on such terms and conditions as such commissioner may impose,
    13  a part or all of any parcel or parcels  of  unappropriated  state  lands
    14  upon  certification  that  such  parcel  or parcels are useful for local
    15  mental health facilities, [mental retardation] developmental  disability
    16  facilities,  park,  recreation, playground, reforestation, public educa-
    17  tion, public safety, street, or highway purposes, and that they will  be
    18  properly  improved  and  maintained for one or more of such purposes and
    19  provided that this disposition of such parcel or parcels is  not  other-
    20  wise  prohibited.  Certification  shall be evidenced by a formal request
    21  from the [board of estimate,] common council, village board, town  board
    22  or county board of supervisors, or other local governing body authorized
    23  by  law  to adopt local laws or ordinances or to otherwise initiate such
    24  request and certification, setting forth in detail the parcel or parcels
    25  to be released,  transferred  and  conveyed  and  the  availability  and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13700-02-2
        S. 8977                             2

     1  usefulness  of  such parcel or parcels for one or more of such purposes.
     2  In the city of New York however, certification shall be evidenced  by  a
     3  formal request from the mayor. In the event that lands transferred under
     4  the  provisions of this section are not properly improved and maintained
     5  for one or more of the purposes contemplated  by  this  section  by  the
     6  city,  village,  town [or], county, political subdivision, fire company,
     7  or voluntary ambulance service to which they were transferred, the title
     8  thereto shall revert to the people of the state of  New  York,  and  the
     9  [attorney-general]  attorney  general  may  institute  an  action in the
    10  supreme court for a judgment declaring a revesting of such title in  the
    11  state.  [Such]  The  commissioner  may  also transfer any unappropriated
    12  state lands to the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation
    13  or the department of environmental conservation, upon the application of
    14  the commissioner thereof indicating that such unappropriated state lands
    15  are required for state park purposes within the area of jurisdiction  of
    16  such office or department.
    17    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.