N.Y. Economic Development Law § 240: Powers and duties of the commissioner

§ 240. Powers and duties of the commissioner. The commissioner acting

by and through the department shall have the power and it shall be his

duty:

1. To assure that comprehensive, reliable and timely information and

research is available for effective economic development efforts at the

local and state levels; such information and research on the economic

conditions and trends of the state, its regions and localities should be

adequate to meet the needs of sound policy development, economic

research, economic development and private investment.

2. To investigate issues concerning state economic information and

research including the quality, timeliness and detail of certain

information; the unavailability of information on certain important

topics; the need to update information collection and indices to reflect

structural changes in the state's economy; the need to adapt information

collection and dissemination to meet new and emerging needs of users;

cutbacks in federal economic information systems and in federal support

for state information gathering and dissemination; uncertainty about the

most economic and effective way of supporting the collection and

dissemination of information; the need for standard formats and computer

compatibility among information systems maintained by different levels

of government, and by different state agencies; and the need for a

comprehensive policy or strategy to guide the state's economic

information system and its development.

3. The commissioner shall establish and maintain, within available

appropriations, a statewide economic information system accessible to

state, regional and local government and academic information users and

producers. Such information system shall be maintained by the

department. The commissioner may subcontract for related services to a

college, university or other non-profit institution. After the economic

information system is established, the commissioner shall submit a

report to the director of the budget and the chairmen of the senate

finance and assembly ways and means committees, evaluating the adequacy

of such economic information system and setting forth the reasons for

selecting such system.