Section 164-B. State aid to rural areas: agency reports

1. Legislative
  intent. The legislature hereby finds, declares and determines that:
    (a) enhanced access to financial and  technical  assistance  available
  from state agencies is of great significance to rural communities;
    (b)  grants  and other forms of state assistance are not always easily
  attainable by rural areas with the greatest need;
    (c) rural areas across the state continue to suffer from  high  levels
  of  unemployment  and  poverty,  limited access to health care and other
  human services, individual isolation, shortfalls in  family  income  and
  educational   attainment,   as   well  as  the  inability  to  undertake
  infrastructure investment and business development;
    (d) rural communities often lack sufficient  expertise  and  staff  to
  prepare  and  process  applications  for  aid,  as  well  as address the
  requirements associated  with  administration  of  any  proceeds.  This,
  coupled  with  disproportionate  competition with large metropolitan and
  suburban communities for a diminishing number of grants often  places  a
  rural  community  at  a  disadvantage  when  attempting  to  advance the
  betterment of its citizens;
    (e) improved awareness of the ways state  agencies  provide  financial
  and  technical assistance would enhance opportunities for rural areas to
  make use of such resources, strengthening their ability  to  respond  to
  modern challenges.
    2.  Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
  shall have the following meanings:
    (a) "Rural area" shall mean those portions of the state so defined  by
  subdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one of this chapter;
    (b)  "State  agency"  shall  mean the following: office for the aging,
  department  of  agriculture  and  markets,  office  of  alcoholism   and
  substance abuse services, department of economic development, department
  of  education,  department  of environmental conservation, environmental
  facilities corporation, department of health, division  of  housing  and
  community  renewal,  job development authority, office of mental health,
  office of parks, recreation and  historic  preservation,  department  of
  social  services,  department  of  state,  department of transportation,
  urban development corporation, and the division for youth;
    (c) "Set-aside" shall mean a direct  commitment  of  financial  and/or
  technical  assistance  by state agencies specifically for rural areas as
  herein defined;
    (d) "Rural program development" means the systematic identification of
  special service  needs  of  rural  areas  by  a  state  agency  and  the
  utilization  of  said  agency's financial, technical and other available
  resources to help meet such need;
    (e) "Rural advisory committee" means a committee created  pursuant  to
  statute  or  through  administrative  action  by  a state agency for the
  purposes of assisting such agency to develop and implement programs  for
  rural areas;
    (f)  "Regulatory flexibility" means the conscious consideration of the
  ability of affected individuals and/or groups in rural areas to  respond
  to  state agency rules and regulations and the state agency's attempt to
  mitigate any negative impacts which may result from such requirements on
  said individuals and/or groups.
    3. Annual reports of state agencies.
    (a) In addition to any existing requirements of state agencies for the
  submission of annual reports, such agencies shall also annually provide:
    (i) a listing and description of any set-asides for rural areas in New
  York state. Such  reports  shall  include  the  number  of  applications
  submitted,  the  number  of applications approved, and the proportionate

  share of dollars and/or technical assistance rendered to  public  and/or
  private sector interests within rural areas of the state;
    (ii)  a listing and description of the activities and participation of
  any rural advisory committees which directly serve such  agency,  or  of
  which the agency is a member;
    (iii)  a  listing and description of existing and/or new rural program
  development efforts within the agency, or of which the agency is a part;
    (iv) a description of existing and/or new  rule-making  or  regulatory
  flexibility afforded to rural areas of the state; and
    (v) recommendations for any statutory change, as well as financial and
  other resources to improve state agency assistance and responsiveness to
  rural areas of the state.
    (b)  In  a  form  prescribed  by  the governor, all state agencies, as
  defined in this section, shall report the annual information required in
  paragraph (a) of this subdivision to the  governor,  with  a  copy  also
  submitted to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the
  senate,  the minority leader of the assembly, the minority leader of the
  senate, and the  chairman  and  vice-chairman  of  the  New  York  state
  legislative commission on the development of rural resources established
  pursuant  to  chapter  four hundred twenty-eight of the laws of nineteen
  hundred eighty-two. The first such  report  shall  be  submitted  on  or
  before January first, nineteen hundred ninety-six.