Research

In 1995, a number of agencies, which had previously functioned independently, were consolidated in order to increase efficiency, reduce overhead and enhance the delivery of the State's economic development initiatives. The functions of the Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) were consolidated, along with other State economic development entities: the Job Development Authority (JDA) and the Science and Technology Foundation (STF).

The Authority Budget Office was established by the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2005 (Chapter 766). It was a separate and autonomous unit within the State Division of the Budget and was responsible for reviewing and reporting on the operations, practices and finances of state and local government authorities, encouraging effective governance, and providing information about public authority performance to the Governor and the Legislature. The Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 (Chapter 506) established the Authorities Budget Office as an independent office with expanded powers.

The New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR) was created by the Jobs 2000 for New York State Act (Chapter 684, Laws of 1999). The office funded research into and development of "job-creating technologies" at public and private institutions of higher learning within the State of New York. It also supported a network of non-profit Regional Technology Development Centers to help smaller manufacturers modernize their facilities and facilitate the development of high-tech industry. NYSTAR worked closely with the Empire State Development Corporation.

The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century was established in April 2005 (Ch. 63) and charged with was charged with reviewing the state's acute and long-term care systems and submitting its recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than December 1, 2006. The commission, which was chaired by Stephen Berger and commonly referred to as the Berger Commission, consisted of eighteen statewide members and thirty-six regional members.

The Environmental Facilities Corporation was created by the Laws of 1970, Chapter 744. The corporation is a reconstitution and continuation of the New York State Pure Waters Authority created in 1967 (Chapter 722) to plan, finance, construct, and operate sewage treatment and solid waste disposal facilities. In 1995 (Chapter 83), the Corporation's mandate was expanded to include projects focused on the removal, disposal, and remediation of petroleum storage tanks and the remediation of the sites on which such tanks are housed.

The Temporary State Commission on the Restoration of the Capitol was created in 1979 to study New York's National Historic Landmark Capitol and prepare a long-range, comprehensive plan for the building's restoration and rehabilitation. Between 1979 and 1982, the Capitol Commission carried out one of the most exhaustive studies ever undertaken on a public building and prepared a master plan that is recognized as a professional standard.

A Temporary State Commission on Judicial Conduct was created by the Legislature in 1974, beginning operations in January 1975, to investigate and prosecute cases of judicial misconduct make confidential suggestions and recommendations in the nature of admonitions to judges when appropriate and, in more serious cases, recommend that formal disciplinary proceedings be commenced in the appropriate court. The temporary Commission was composed of two judges, five lawyers and two lay persons.

The Council on the Arts is the successor to the New York State Council on the Arts, created as a temporary state commission by the legislature in 1960 (Chapter 313) to recommend ways of encouraging participation in and appreciation of the arts. In 1961 the council submitted a report to the legislature and subsequently received annual funding for the preservation and encouragement of the arts throughout the State. Four years later (Laws of 1965, Chapter 181) the council, composed of fifteen members, was elevated to the status of an agency in the Executive Department.

The office was created within the Executive Department in 1986 (Chapter 890) and began operations in April 1987. The agency was charged with coordinating State programs and activities relating to rural areas and providing assistance in the development of rural policies. Enabling legislation defined "rural" as counties with less than 200,000 population, a definition which included 44 counties encompassing 75 per cent of the State's land area and over 3 million people. The office's jurisdiction was later extended to rural areas in the remaining counties.

The Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council was established in 1991 to promote creation of a regional strategy for simultaneously preserving the Hudson Valley's scenic, natural, historic, and other resources, encouraging compatible economic development, and continuing the region's tradition of local land-use decision making. The Council works with local and county governments to develop and enhance land use planning techniques and to develop a voluntary regional planning compact.