New York Senate Bill S00798

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25

Caption

Provides for the promotion of local small businesses listed on the registry of historic businesses as part of the "I Love NY" brand.

Summary

This bill amends the Economic Development Law to direct the Department of Economic Development to promote local small businesses that are listed on the state’s registry of historic businesses. It does so by expressly adding this purpose to the department’s tourism and marketing responsibilities and by expanding the “I Love NY” brand framework to include an “I Love NY Historic Small Business” niche brand. The bill is designed to help highlight historic small businesses through targeted promotional efforts and themed tourism campaigns. The bill also updates reporting requirements so the department must include information about the historic small business niche brand in its annual report. That report would need to cover marketing plans, licensing activity, contractual services, sponsorships, and an analysis of how effective the brand-based promotions are at stimulating tourism. It further requires a list of the historic small businesses featured in those promotions. In addition, the bill amends the state’s matching grant program for integrated tourism marketing to make clear that eligible thematic campaigns may include the historic small business brand. In practical terms, the bill affects the Economic Development Law and the state’s tourism promotion structure, especially the “I Love NY” brand program. It would not create a new registry of businesses, but instead leverages the existing registry of historic businesses maintained under the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law. The measure would likely benefit small, locally owned, historically significant businesses by giving them state marketing exposure and potentially connecting them to tourism-driven economic activity. The general sentiment reflected by the bill text is supportive and promotional, with the measure framed as an economic development and heritage tourism initiative. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of floor debate or formal opposition in the materials supplied. The bill appears to be a continuation or refinement of a previously enacted 2024 effort to create the “I Love NY Historic Small Business” niche brand. The main point of potential contention is likely to be whether the state should devote branding, staff time, and reporting resources to a specialized marketing initiative for historic small businesses, and whether such promotions will produce measurable tourism or economic benefits. Another possible issue is administrative burden, since the bill adds detailed annual reporting requirements and expands the scope of the department’s marketing and grant-related activities.

Impact

The bill would amend the Economic Development Law by adding a specific duty for the Department of Economic Development to promote local small businesses listed on the registry of historic businesses. It also expands the statutory “I Love NY” branding and reporting provisions to include an “I Love NY Historic Small Business” niche brand, and clarifies that the state’s tourism matching grant program may support themed campaigns using that brand. The measure would affect the department, tourism promotion entities, local governments, and historic small businesses featured in state marketing efforts.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally favorable and supportive of small business promotion, historic preservation, and tourism marketing. The text suggests an affirmative policy direction rather than a controversial regulatory change, and it builds on an existing 2024 branding initiative. No votes or committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded evidence of opposition or divided sentiment in the materials available.

Contention

The likely areas of contention are policy and administrative rather than ideological: whether the state should expand the “I Love NY” brand into a niche campaign for historic small businesses, whether the initiative will meaningfully stimulate tourism and sales, and whether the added reporting and marketing obligations are worth the cost. Any concern would most likely come from those wary of new programmatic duties for the Department of Economic Development or skeptical of targeted branding as an economic development tool.