Bill > A06234

This bill establishes a comprehensive grant program for arts, cultural affairs, and parks organizations across ten regions in New York State, designed to promote accessibility and sustainability. The bill creates regional councils in each of the ten defined geographic regions (including areas like Long Island, New York City, Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier, etc.), with each council consisting of seven members appointed by the governor, assembly speaker, and senate president. These councils will issue competitive grants to local arts, cultural, and parks organizations for capital projects focused on improving accessibility (such as Americans with Disabilities Act compliance) and sustainability (like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting energy efficiency, and conserving resources). The grants will be distributed with a specific equity requirement: in New York City, equal funding will go to organizations with operating budgets above and below $10 million, while in other regions, the split occurs at $5 million. Additionally, the bill includes restrictions to prevent repeated grants to the same organization within three years and limits parks organizations to receiving no more than 50% of a region's grant money in a given year. This program aims to support local cultural and recreational organizations in making meaningful improvements to their facilities and operations.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6234