A 1042: Enacts the "local, community and ethnic media commitment act"; requires state agencies to publish certain information in local, community and ethnic media; defines local, community and ethnic media; requires the office of general services to develop and maintain a list of local, community and ethnic media outlets.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1042 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SHRESTHA, REYES, RAGA, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, DE LOS SANTOS, ROZIC, KIM, FORREST, CRUZ, BRAUNSTEIN, LEE, RAMOS, MAMDANI, MITAYNES, CUNNINGHAM -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agen- cies to publish certain information in local, community and ethnic media The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "local, community and ethnic media commitment act". 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds and 4 declares New York is one of the most diverse states in America and 5 local, community and ethnic media provides an important way for the 6 state to connect and ensure that its message reaches all New Yorkers; 7 and 8 The legislature hereby finds and declares that according to the U.S. 9 Census population estimates for 2022, approximately 23 percent of New 10 York state residents and 37 percent of New York city residents are 11 foreign-born and according to the 2019 U.S. Census population estimates 12 approximately 30 percent of New York state residents do not speak 13 English as their primary language and 13 percent of New York state resi- 14 dents have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand 15 English; and 16 The legislature hereby finds and declares that the state of New York 17 wants to ensure that critical information about state services, poli- 18 cies, and opportunities reach these communities and local, community and 19 ethnic media is a pathway to allow members of these communities, many of 20 whom critically need information about New York state programs, to 21 access it; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00504-01-5 
 A. 1042 2 1 Therefore, the legislature hereby finds and declares it is essential 2 that all residents have meaningful access to state programs, services, 3 and activities, and the public safety, health, economic prosperity, and 4 general welfare of all New York state residents is furthered by increas- 5 ing access to New York state programs and services, regardless of native 6 language, race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, 7 sexual orientation, disability or immigrant status. 8 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 164-e to 9 read as follows: 10 § 164-e. Bolstering our responsibility to local, community and ethnic 11 media. 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following 12 terms shall have the following meanings: 13 (a) "local, community and ethnic media" shall mean any print or 14 digital publication that: creates community specific content for a 15 geographically contiguous area no greater than one fifth of the state, 16 or is created for communities of people based on native language, race, 17 color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, 18 disability or immigrant status; or falls within specifically tailored 19 subject matter as determined by the department of state. 20 (b) "state agency" or "agency" shall mean any department, division, 21 commission, agency and any other entity of the state. 22 2. Local, community and ethnic media advertising. Every state agency 23 shall ensure that, by December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven, 24 and for every year thereafter, at least fifty percent of their annual 25 print and digital publication advertising spending shall go toward 26 local, community and ethnic media outlets. The office of general 27 services shall take all steps necessary, consistent with applicable law, 28 to implement the provisions of this section, particularly with respect 29 to the state education department, the department of health, and state 30 housing authorities. 31 3. Approved media outlet list. The office of general services shall 32 develop and maintain a list of local, community and ethnic media outlets 33 that promote and exemplify the state's many interconnected communities, 34 as described in subdivision one of this section, for state agencies, 35 including, but not limited to, the education department, the department 36 of health, and state housing authorities, to use at their discretion. 37 State agencies may petition the office of general services to include 38 advertisements such agencies have published in outlets that are not on 39 the approved list toward their local, community and ethnic media outlet 40 spending. 41 4. Development and transparency. State agency employees or represen- 42 tatives that work on purchasing print or digital publication advertising 43 shall be required to participate in regular trainings established by the 44 office of general services on the use of local, community and ethnic 45 media advertising. Beginning in two thousand twenty-six, and every year 46 thereafter, state agencies shall submit a year-end data report to the 47 governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the 48 assembly regarding the agency's annual print and digital publication 49 advertising spending. The report shall include, but not be limited to, 50 the total amount each agency spent on print and digital publication 51 advertising and the total amount each agency spent on local, community 52 and ethnic media advertising. Data regarding each agency's annual print 53 and digital publication advertising shall be made available to the 54 office of general services at the beginning of each year and shall be 55 posted on the office of general services' website. 
 A. 1042 3 1 5. Exemption for legally required notices. To the extent that this 2 section conflicts with a state agency's requirements to comply with 3 legal and statutory notices that require posting or distribution in 4 publications or media pursuant to local, state, or other applicable law, 5 such notices shall be exempt from the requirements in this section. For 6 purposes of this exemption, agencies may subtract the publication costs 7 of such legally required notices from their total advertising budgets 8 before calculating their required local, community and ethnic media 9 advertising spending pursuant to subdivision two of this section. 10 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.