S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                         9172

                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                  September 30, 2009
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by M. of A. KOLB, FITZPATRICK, ALFANO, BALL, BARCLAY, BARRA,
         BOYLE, BURLING, CALHOUN, CORWIN, CROUCH, DUPREY, ERRIGO, FINCH, HAYES,
         JORDAN,  P. LOPEZ,  McDONOUGH,  MILLER,  OAKS,  O'MARA,  QUINN,  RAIA,
         REILICH, SALADINO, SCOZZAFAVA, TOBACCO, TOWNSEND -- Multi-Sponsored by
         --  M.  of  A.  BACALLES,  BUTLER, GIGLIO, HAWLEY, McKEVITT, MOLINARO,
         RABBITT, SAYWARD, TEDISCO -- read once and referred to  the  Committee
         on Ways and Means

       AN  ACT to establish a moratorium on disbursement of state monies to the
         Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or to any organ-
         ization  related  thereto;  and  providing  for  the  repeal  of  such
         provision upon the expiration thereof

         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section 1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
    2  declares  that in light of recent events and allegations surrounding the
    3  Association of Community Organizations for Reform  Now  (ACORN),  it  is
    4  necessary  to suspend all funding sources provided by the state to ACORN
    5  and conduct a full investigation into the operations and actions of  the
    6  organization, and all of its affiliates and their employees.
    7    S 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, there
    8  is  hereby  established  a  moratorium on all monies appropriated by the
    9  laws of 2009 made available to the Association  of  Community  Organiza-
   10  tions  for  Reform  Now (ACORN), or any state chapter of ACORN as regis-
   11  tered with the secretary of state, any organization that  shares  direc-
   12  tors,  employees or independent contractors with ACORN, any organization
   13  that has a financial stake in ACORN, any  organization  whose  finances,
   14  whether  federally funded, donor funded or raised through organizational
   15  goods and services, are shared or controlled by ACORN, or  employees  of
   16  ACORN.
   17    The  purpose  of  such  moratorium  shall be to afford the state comp-
   18  troller and the attorney general sufficient  time  to  conduct  thorough

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14771-01-9
       A. 9172                             2

    1  investigations of ACORN and report to the governor, the temporary presi-
    2  dent  of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of
    3  the senate, the minority leader of the  assembly,  and  the  chairs  and
    4  ranking minority members of the following committees: the senate finance
    5  committee,  the  assembly ways and means committee, the senate committee
    6  on elections, the assembly committee on election law, the senate commit-
    7  tee on housing, construction and  community  development,  the  assembly
    8  committee  on  housing, the senate committee on social services, and the
    9  assembly committee on social services, no later than April 1, 2010.  The
   10  report  shall include, but not be limited to: the status of any investi-
   11  gation into violations of any state and federal law  by  ACORN,  or  any
   12  state  chapter  of  ACORN, or any organization affiliated with ACORN; an
   13  accounting of all funds raised within the state of New  York  by  ACORN,
   14  its  state  chapters  or affiliates, state funding appropriated over the
   15  last five years to ACORN, or any state chapter of ACORN, or  any  organ-
   16  ization  affiliated  with  ACORN; recommendations on legal actions to be
   17  taken by the state and whether ACORN should be deemed  a  qualified  and
   18  responsible contractor for the state; and any information that the state
   19  comptroller and attorney general may deem necessary.
   20    S  3.  This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be
   21  deemed repealed April 1, 2010.