S 193: Creates a cyber security enhancement fund to be used for the purpose of upgrading cyber security in local governments, including but not limited to, villages, towns and cities with a population of one million or less; restricts the use of taxpayer moneys in paying ransoms in response to ransomware attacks.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 193 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. MARTINEZ, ASHBY, MURRAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veter- ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the executive law and the state finance law, in relation to cyber security enhancement funding; and to restrict the use of taxpayer moneys in paying ransoms The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 720 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 720. Cyber security enhancement. 1. The commissioner of the division 4 of homeland security and emergency services shall establish a program 5 for the purpose of upgrading cyber security in local governments, 6 including but not limited to, villages, towns and cities with a popu- 7 lation of one million or less. 8 2. All costs of such program shall be paid for by the cyber security 9 enhancement fund, established by section ninety-one-h of the state 10 finance law. 11 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 91-h to 12 read as follows: 13 § 91-h. Cyber security enhancement fund. 1. There is hereby estab- 14 lished in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commission- 15 er of taxation and finance a fund to be known as the cyber security 16 enhancement fund. 17 2. Such fund shall consist of five million dollars transferred by the 18 state comptroller from the general fund, and contributions consisting of 19 grants, including grants or other financial assistance from any agency 20 of government and all moneys required by the provisions of this section 21 or any other law to be paid into or credited to the fund. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00527-01-5 
 S. 193 2 1 3. The moneys from the cyber security enhancement fund shall be 2 disbursed by the division of homeland security and emergency services to 3 be expended to upgrade the cyber security of local governments, includ- 4 ing but not limited to, villages, towns and cities with a population of 5 one million or less, pursuant to section seven hundred twenty of the 6 executive law. 7 § 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after January first, 8 two thousand twenty-eight, local and state taxpayer moneys shall not be 9 used to pay ransoms in response to ransomware attacks. 10 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.