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New York Education Law Section 140 - Historical Documentary Heritage Grants And Aid

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    § 140. Historical documentary heritage grants and aid. 1. Short title.
  This  section  shall  be  known  and  may  be  cited  as  the  "New York
  documentary heritage act".
    2. Definitions. As used in this section,  the  following  terms  shall
  mean:
    a.  "Historical records". Records that contain significant information
  that is  of  enduring  value  and  are  therefore  worthy  of  long-term
  retention  and  systematic  management.  Historical  records may include
  diaries,  journals,  ledgers,  minutes,  reports,   photographs,   maps,
  drawings,  blueprints,  agreements,  memoranda,  deeds,  case files, and
  other material. They may take any of several physical forms:  parchment,
  paper, microfilm, cassette tape, film, videotape, computer tapes, discs,
  and other "machine readable" formats.
    b.  "Historical records program". Any deliberate, organized program to
  collect,  hold,  care  for,  and  make  available  historical   records,
  including    identifying,   appraising,   arranging,   describing,   and
  referencing them and using them in  exhibitions  and  other  public  and
  educational programs.
    c.  "Institutions  eligible  for  historical  records program grants".
  Chartered or  incorporated  nonprofit  archives,  libraries,  historical
  societies and museums and other nonprofit institutions in New York state
  which operate historical records programs and which meet standards to be
  established by the commissioner pursuant to regulations adopted for such
  purposes. Institutions operated by state or federal government agencies,
  and  local  government  archives  shall  not  be eligible for historical
  records  project  grants,  except  that  an  institution  of  the  state
  university  of New York or the city university of New York may apply for
  historical records project grants with  regard  to  records  other  than
  internal records generated by the institution after July first, nineteen
  hundred  forty-eight if it is a component of the state university of New
  York or after July first, nineteen  hundred  seventy-nine  if  it  is  a
  component  of  the  city  university of New York or after the subsequent
  date on which the institution became a component of such university.
    d. "Historical records program project". A project to carry out one or
  more of the activities described in subdivision three of this section.
    e. "Cooperative project". A collaborative effort undertaken by two  or
  more  historical records programs, to meet shared needs or to accomplish
  a common purpose, or a project  undertaken  by  a  service  provider  to
  address the historical records needs of more than one historical records
  program.
    f. "Regional advisory and assistance agency". A reference and research
  library  resources system, or an alternate public or nonprofit agency or
  organization willing to provide historical records  program  development
  advice and assistance services covering a reference and research library
  resources system region which is acceptable to the commissioner.
    g.  "Historical  records  program  development advice and assistance".
  Advice and assistance on the development and strengthening of historical
  records programs, promotion of  cooperation,  coordinated  documentation
  planning,  training  in historical records management techniques, advice
  and assistance in reporting of information concerning historical records
  to statewide and national data bases where appropriate, and  initiatives
  to  increase  public  awareness  of  the  values  and uses of historical
  records.
    h. "Service provider". A nonprofit professional or other  association,
  local  government,  college or university, historical service agency, or
  other  nonprofit  institution  or  system  which  provides  services  to
  historical records programs.
    i.  "Cost  sharing".  Local  funds,  local in-kind services, and other
  funds and support from other than state sources.
    j.  "Program  year".  The  annual  period from July first through June
  thirtieth.
    3. Scope of activities to be supported. The commissioner is authorized
  to provide grants and advice to  institutions  eligible  for  historical
  records  programs and cooperative projects, and aid to regional advisory
  and  assistance  agencies,  the  central  administration  of  the  state
  university  of  New  York  and  the  central  administration of the city
  university of New York. Grants shall be used to support the  development
  and  administration  of  historical  records  programs;  the  surveying,
  appraisal,   identification,   collection,   duplication,   arrangement,
  description,  and  making  available  of  historical records; public and
  educational programming relating  to  historical  records;  projects  to
  improve archival techniques; and projects to promote the research use of
  historical  records.  Aid  to  regional advisory and assistance agencies
  shall be used to  promote  and  assist  the  development  of  historical
  records  programs.  Aid  to  the  central  administrations  of the state
  university of New York and the city university of New York shall be used
  to develop guidelines,  policies  and  procedures,  training,  technical
  assistance,  materials,  oversight,  retention and disposition schedules
  for university records, and to promote, guide and direct  the  component
  institutions  of  such  universities  in  the  sound  administration  of
  archival records.
    4. Distribution of funds. a.  Historical  documentary  heritage  funds
  shall  be  distributed as follows: (1) Grants. (i) individual historical
  records program projects shall be  eligible  for  at  least  thirty-five
  percent of the amount available;
    (ii)  cooperative  projects shall be eligible for up to twenty percent
  of the amount available.
    (2) Aid. (i)  regional  advisory  and  assistance  agencies  shall  be
  eligible for forty percent of the amount available;
    (ii)  the  central  administration of the state university of New York
  shall be eligible for two and  one-half  percent  of  the  total  amount
  available;
    (iii)  the  central  administration of the city university of New York
  shall be eligible for two and  one-half  percent  of  the  total  amount
  available.
    b.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subparagraphs one and two of
  paragraph a of this subdivision, the commissioner, taking  into  account
  the  recommendations  of  the New York state historical records advisory
  board, may distribute funds designated for one purpose  to  address  the
  needs of another purpose, provided that the commissioner determines that
  the  significance of the contributions to be realized from the proposals
  in one category outweighs the significance of the  contributions  to  be
  realized from the proposals in another category.
    5.  Cost-sharing.  The  commissioner  shall  determine  the  amount of
  cost-sharing  required  from  historical  records  programs,   including
  cooperative programs. For individual historical records program projects
  involving  arrangement, description, and other work relating directly to
  the administration of historical records held by a program,  the  amount
  of such cost-sharing shall be at least fifty percent.
    6. Applications for historical records program projects. a. Filing. By
  dates  determined by the commissioner each year, an eligible institution
  may file an application, in a form prescribed by the commissioner, for a
  grant to support the approved costs of  a  proposed  historical  records
  project.
    b.  Content.  Such  application shall include, but need not be limited
  to:
    (1)  a  statement  describing  the  applicant's  need  for the funding
  requested;
    (2) collection statements and policies  used  by  the  institution  to
  guide its acquisition efforts;
    (3)  a  summary  description of the records included in the historical
  records program of the institution;
    (4) the status of finding aids and published guides for the historical
  records held by the institution;
    (5) the current and/or anticipated level of use and audience  for  the
  historical records;
    (6)  the  importance of the historical records for documenting life in
  New York;
    (7) the expected impact of  the  grant  upon  the  historical  records
  program;
    (8)  the  plan  of  work  for  the activities for which the funding is
  sought;
    (9) the proposed project budget, including cost-sharing which would be
  committed to the project; and
    (10) the staff  and  other  resources  devoted  to  the  institution's
  historical records program on an ongoing basis.
    c.   Approval.   In   approving   any  application  pursuant  to  this
  subdivision, the commissioner shall consider:
    (1) information in the proposal as set forth in paragraph  b  of  this
  subdivision;
    (2)  the  capacity  of  the institution to make the historical records
  known and accessible for research, education, public programs,  improved
  policy making and other public benefits;
    (3)  the  potential for improving the documentation of the heritage of
  any racial and ethnic group; and
    (4) the potential for improving the documentation of under  documented
  subjects, institutions, or activities.
    7.  Application  for  cooperative  projects. a. Filing. By dates to be
  established by the commissioner each year,  a  service  provider  or  an
  eligible  institution  acting  as  fiscal  agent on behalf of a group of
  eligible institutions, may file an application, in a form prescribed  by
  the  commissioner.  A  group  of  cooperating institutions may be formed
  because of  a  common  purpose,  rather  than  because  of  geographical
  proximity.
    b.  Content.  Such  application shall include, but need not be limited
  to:
    (1) a statement  describing  the  applicant's  need  for  the  funding
  requested;
    (2) a description of the issue, problem, or need that the project will
  address;
    (3)  a description of the historical records programs to be served and
  how the effort to be undertaken in a cooperative project relates to  and
  will  strengthen these programs; (4) description of the plan of work for
  the project;
    (5) outcome or product of the project and  how  it  will  improve  the
  identification and administration of historical records or contribute to
  the strengthening of historical records programs; and
    (6)   the  proposed  budget,  including  cost-sharing  that  would  be
  contributed to the project.
    c.  Approval.  In  approving  any   application   pursuant   to   this
  subdivision, the commissioner shall consider:
    (1)  information  in  the proposal as set forth in paragraph b of this
  subdivision;
    (2)  the  importance  of the records involved for the documentation of
  life in New York state;
    (3) the importance of the project and the intended outcome or  product
  in  terms  of strengthening the programs of the cooperating institutions
  and promoting improved historical records management;
    (4)  the  capacities  of  the  cooperating  institutions  or   service
  providers  for carrying out the project, including prior experience with
  cooperative or service projects; and
    (5) the potential for cooperating institutions to sustain  an  ongoing
  productive cooperative relationship as a result of the project.
    8. Aid for regional advisory and assistance agencies. a. Coordination.
  The  commissioner  shall  establish  statewide  priorities  for regional
  advisory and assistance agencies and shall assist and  coordinate  their
  efforts.
    b.  Historical  records  program  advice  and  assistance plans. To be
  eligible to receive aid annually, each participating  regional  advisory
  and  assistance agency shall submit an annual workplan acceptable to the
  commissioner, and, after the first year of receiving aid,  a  report  on
  activities  of  the prior year and a five-year plan, by dates designated
  by  the  commissioner.  The  five-year  plan  shall  outline  goals  and
  objectives to be accomplished in the region during the five-year period.
  The  annual  workplan  shall  describe  the activities to be carried out
  during the year and the program advice and assistance  to  be  provided.
  The  five-year  plans  and  the  annual workplans shall reflect regional
  priorities and shall be consistent with statewide priorities established
  by the commissioner.
    c. Aid. The commissioner shall each year determine the distribution of
  aid among eligible regional advisory and assistance agencies.  In  doing
  so,  he shall take into account the level of resources needed to provide
  the services described in paragraphs f and g of subdivision two of  this
  section  in  a  satisfactory manner, the extent of the geographical area
  served by each agency, and the size of the  population  served  by  each
  agency,  and  shall  distribute  the available funds in such a manner as
  will best give effect to this section.
    9. Aid for state university of New York and  city  university  of  New
  York.      To   be   eligible  to  receive  aid  annually,  the  central
  administration of the state university  of  New  York  and  the  central
  administration  of  the city university of New York shall each submit an
  annual workplan acceptable to the commissioner,  and,  after  the  first
  year  of  receiving  aid, a report on activities of the prior year and a
  five-year plan.
    11. Regulations. The commissioner shall adopt regulations to implement
  the provisions of this section.

Last modified: August 13, 2006