Provides that the comptroller shall examine and audit all state or federal funds appropriated or received for the humanitarian aid including short term shelter services to migrant individuals and families, including costs associated with humanitarian emergency response and relief centers for individuals entering short term shelter on or after April 1, 2022 in New York city or any other municipality in New York state.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7508
SPONSOR: Ra TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to the distribution
of appropriations for humanitarian aid including short term shelter
services to migrant individuals and families
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill requires the governor to report to the legislature how funds
for humanitarian aid for migrants is being spent and also requires the
state comptroller to audit how funds for humanitarian aid for migrants
are being spent.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one defines the legislative intent.
Section two requires the governor to submit a report every 30 days to
the legislature detailing how state and any federal funds are being
spent on humanitarian aid for migrants.
Section three requires the comptroller to audit how funds for migrant
humanitarian aid are spent and to report these findings every 30 days.
Section four establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State is facing a migrant crisis. To alleviate the migrant
crisis, the State Budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 provided one billion
dollars to the city of New York for migrant humanitarian needs. However,
this one billion comes with little direction or oversight as to how it
will be spent. This bill would allow the legislature to know how this
money, and future appropriated state or federal funds for these
purposes, will be spent by municipalities.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Costs associated with creating audits and reports.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7508
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 25, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to the distribution
of appropriations for humanitarian aid including short term shelter
services to migrant individuals and families
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that the
2 state of New York has a migrant crisis and that as the state distributes
3 state or federal funding for the relief of this migrant crisis, such
4 spending must be done in a transparent manner with the legislature and
5 oversight from the comptroller.
6 § 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule and regulation
7 to the contrary, any state or federal funds used for humanitarian aid
8 including short term shelter services to migrant individuals and fami-
9 lies, including costs associated with humanitarian emergency response
10 and relief centers for individuals entering short term shelter on or
11 after April 1, 2022 in New York city or any other municipality in New
12 York state shall have the governor report to the temporary president of
13 the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the
14 senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the chair of the senate
15 finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee
16 every thirty days an accounting of all money distributed in relation to
17 any appropriation.
18 § 3. Section 8 of the state finance law is amended by adding a new
19 subdivision 21 to read as follows:
20 21. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, examine and
21 audit all state or federal funds appropriated or received for the huma-
22 nitarian aid including short term shelter services to migrant individ-
23 uals and families, including costs associated with humanitarian emergen-
24 cy response and relief centers for individuals entering short term
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11437-02-3
A. 7508 2
1 shelter on or after April 1, 2022 in New York city or any other munici-
2 pality in New York state. Upon thorough examination, audit, and iden-
3 tification of distributions to New York city or any other municipality
4 in New York state, make a report to the legislature containing said
5 findings every thirty days an accounting of all money distributed in
6 relation to this appropriation.
7 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
8 have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2022.
