Section 104-A. Special powers and duties of the department with respect to employee ownership assistance

With  respect  to  employee  ownership  assistance  loans provided for in subtitle six of title eight of article
  eight of the public authorities law, the department shall have the power
  and duty and in cooperation with the job development authority to:
    1. Assist and counsel new employee-owned enterprises in their dealings
  with federal, state and local governments, including but not limited  to
  providing  ready access to information regarding government requirements
  which affect employee-owned enterprises;
    2.  Receive  complaints  and  suggestions  concerning   policies   and
  activities  of  federal,  state  and  local  governmental agencies which
  affect employee-owned enterprises, and develop, in cooperation with  the
  agency  involved,  proposals  for  changes  in policies or activities to
  alleviate any unnecessary adverse effects on employee-owned enterprises;
    3. Conduct investigations, research, studies and analyses  of  matters
  affecting the interests of employee-owned enterprises;
    4.   Assist   employee-owned   enterprises   in   obtaining  available
  managerial, technical, and financial assistance;
    5.  Initiate  and   encourage   educational   programs   relating   to
  employee-owned  enterprises,  including  programs  in  cooperation  with
  various public and private educational institutions;
    6. Help new employee-owned enterprises in this  state  by  simplifying
  and streamlining license and application procedures wherever possible;
    7. Identify industrial and manufacturing businesses that are in danger
  of  being permanently closed or relocated out of state, which results in
  the loss of jobs and increasing unemployment, and assist the  businesses
  and  employees  of such businesses by distributing information about the
  provisions of this section.  The department may impose fees, pursuant to
  rules and regulations,  to  defray  departmental  expenses  incurred  in
  providing the services set forth in this section.