Bill > A03510

This bill establishes a new Office of Ethnic and Community Media within the New York state government, headed by an executive director appointed by the governor. The office is designed to promote and support media outlets that serve specific communities based on factors like language, race, ethnicity, neighborhood, or specialized subject matter. The executive director will have several key responsibilities, including advising the governor on communication strategies, facilitating communication between state agencies, maintaining a list of ethnic and community media outlets, and preparing annual reports on state agency advertising spending. The bill's most significant provision requires each state agency to direct at least 50% of its total advertising budget to ethnic and community media outlets, with the option to apply for a waiver if they can provide a compelling explanation for not meeting this goal. The executive director will be responsible for monitoring compliance, creating waiver request forms, and conducting annual training for state officers involved in advertising purchases. Legally required public notices will be excluded from this calculation to ensure agencies can still meet their legal notification requirements. The law will take effect 90 days after being signed.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3510