§ 241 — Advisory council on economic information and research

§ 241. Advisory council on economic information and research. 1. The\ncommissioner is authorized and directed to appoint the advisory council\non economic information and research, to advise and assist him in an\nongoing review of the state's economic information and research needs.\n 2. The advisory council on economic information and research shall\nadvise the commissioner and make recommendations concerning information\navailable on the economy of the state, its regions and localities, and\nthe information and research needs of state and local government,\nbusiness planners, academic researchers, and others concerned with\neconomic development in the state. Specifically, the council shall\nreview and submit recommendations on:\n (a) currently available data concerning the economy of New York state\nand the demand for such data from both public and private users at the\nstate and local levels with respect to their scope, quality, detail,\ntimeliness and accessibility;\n (b) state policies and procedures concerning the collection,\nmaintenance and dissemination of economic data and economic development\ndata and the assignment of responsibility for such tasks;\n (c) the cooperation and collaboration among different agencies and\noffices of state government in the collection, analysis and\ndissemination of economic data and economic information including, but\nnot limited to, the nature of consultation about the information to be\ncollected and the extent to which standardized data and compatible\ninformation systems have been and should be introduced;\n (d) the relationship between the state's economic information\ncollection and maintenance and other public and private information\nsources within the state, including especially the capacity of the state\nto incorporate data and information provided by other systems;\n (e) the capabilities of the state's existing economic information\nsystem in light of the objectives of economic development, changing\nfederal policies and support for economic information, and changes in\nthe state's economic structure;\n (f) the design, location and maintenance of the statewide economic\ninformation system established pursuant to this article, including the\ncontent and organization of the data, the means for incorporating data\nfrom and providing access to academic, municipal and private sector data\nproducers within the state, and the means for providing access to data\nusers within the state;\n (g) critical areas of unmet economic research needs and how such needs\ncan be met, including the need for an economic early-warning system and\nof timely and accurate forecasts of occupational supply and demand,\nanalysis of sub-state regional economies, and analysis of important\nindustrial sectors in the state;\n (h) the need for a state clearinghouse for economic research to\nmaintain and disseminate research on the economy of the state, its\nregions and localities and on economic development programs; and\n (i) state policy on charges for economic data and information provided\nto the public.\n 3. (a) The advisory council shall submit an annual report on its\nfindings and recommendations on or before October first, nineteen\nhundred eighty-eight and on or before each October first thereafter to\nthe governor, the president pro tem and minority leader of the senate,\nand the speaker and minority leader of the assembly.\n (b) (i) The department shall submit to the director of the budget, the\nchairperson of the senate finance committee and the chairperson of the\nassembly ways and means committee an evaluation of this program prepared\nby an entity independent of the department. Such evaluation shall be\nsubmitted on or before September first, two thousand five and on or\nbefore September first every four years thereafter.\n (ii) Between evaluation due dates, the department shall maintain the\nnecessary records and data required to satisfy such evaluation\nrequirements and to satisfy information requests received from the\ndirector of the budget, the chairperson of the senate finance committee\nand the chairperson of the assembly ways and means committee between\nsuch evaluation due dates.\n 4. The advisory council shall consist of the commissioner, who shall\nserve as chair, the commissioner of labor, and the commissioner of\neducation, or their designees, one representative designated by the\ntemporary president of the senate and one representative designated by\nthe speaker of the assembly and eight members appointed by the\ncommissioner, who shall have an expertise in economic analysis, planning\nor data collection, maintenance and distribution, one representing the\nstate university of New York, one representing the city university of\nNew York, one representing independent universities, one representing\nthe state association of regional planning and development\norganizations, one representative of local government interests, one\nrepresentative of business and industry interests, one representative of\nlabor interests, and one representative of private economic research and\nforecasting entities. The members shall receive no compensation for\ntheir services but shall be allowed actual and necessary expenses\nincurred in the performance of their duties.\n 5. The council shall coordinate its activities with research being\nundertaken by the New York state occupational information coordinating\ncommittee and the legislative commission on skills development and\ncareer education.\n 6. The commissioner and the commissioner of labor may each appoint\nprofessional staff to assist the council with its duties.\n 7. The commissioner may request and shall receive from any public\nauthority, public benefit corporation, department, division, board,\nbureau, commission or agency of the state or any political subdivision\nthereof, such assistance as will enable the council to properly carry\nout its duties hereunder.\n