N.Y. Economic Development Law § 231: Regional offices

§ 231. Regional offices. 1. The department, through its regional

offices, is authorized: (a) to serve as a center for information

regarding economic development resources available from state, federal

and local agencies; (b) to provide outreach to businesses, with

attention to small and medium-sized businesses, including minority and

women-owned business enterprises, for financial and technical assistance

offered by state economic development agencies, authorities, or other

economic entities; (c) to serve as a regional center to accept

applications for state economic development programs; (d) to coordinate

the economic development programs and activities of state agencies and

authorities within each region including, but not limited to, outreach

to businesses, technical assistance services, skills training

assistance, sharing of information, strategic economic development plans

and programs, to provide or arrange for assistance in compliance with

federal, state, and local rules, regulations, permits, and licenses, and

other measures to enhance regional economic development and eliminate

duplication of services; (e) to provide or arrange for assistance to

persons, firms, agencies, partnerships or corporations, either public or

private, in applying for assistance from state economic development

programs or for necessary licenses and permits or seeking to comply with

federal, state and local rules and regulations; (f) to review and

comment, within their knowledge and expertise, with respect to

applications for state assistance in a timely manner and form prescribed

by the commissioner; (g) to distribute literature and marketing material

describing the facilities, advantages and attractions of the region for

business; (h) to provide economic development information, planning

services and technical assistance to counties and municipalities within

the region; (i) to provide information and assistance in the

certification of minority and women-owned business enterprises; (j) to

provide or arrange for assistance to private sector employers, whether

operating for profit or not for profit, and to organizations and

associations of such employers in developing and implementing innovative

and flexible employee compensation, assistance and benefit programs to

enhance competitiveness and meet emerging demographic and market

conditions; and (k) to provide information and assistance to small

businesses on environmental compliance requirements of federal and state

law and pollution prevention opportunities in furtherance of policies

and programs established in article twenty-eight of the environmental

conservation law and in coordination with the pollution prevention and

environmental compliance coordinating council established in article

twenty-eight of the environmental conservation law, including programs

operated by the department, the department of environmental conservation

or other state or local agencies from which technical assistance, or

loans, grants or other financial assistance for compliance and pollution

prevention may be obtained; and in providing such information and

assistance, to promote pollution prevention approaches.

2. As used in this section, "Pollution prevention" shall mean

pollution prevention as such term is defined by article twenty-eight of

the environmental conservation law.