New York Senate Bill S04722

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Engrossed: 4/29/25
• Refer: 4/29/25

Caption

Requires the empire state plaza art commission to examine the historical significance of major rivers in the state of New York in connection with renaming the agency buildings located at the empire state plaza; requires the governor to choose the new agency building names within 60 days after the commission's recommendation.

Summary

This bill directs the Empire State Plaza Art Commission, working with the Commissioner of General Services, to recommend names for Agency Buildings One through Four at the Empire State Plaza. The commission must choose from a list of major New York rivers, and its recommendation must take into account the historical significance of the river selected. The Governor would then determine the final building names based on that recommendation within 60 days of receiving it. The bill also amends the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law to add this naming process to the commission’s duties. It preserves the commission’s existing authority to promote the Empire State Plaza art collection and does not alter the commission’s broader promotional functions, except to add this specific naming role. The act would take effect 180 days after becoming law, with immediate authorization for the commission to adopt any necessary implementing rules. In practical terms, the bill would affect state administrative practice by creating a formal process for renaming four state office buildings at the Empire State Plaza. It would involve the Empire State Plaza Art Commission, the Office of General Services, and the Governor, and it would likely result in new official building names drawn from New York’s major rivers. No private parties are directly regulated, but the measure changes how these state-owned buildings are identified and referenced in law and state records. The general sentiment appears favorable. The bill was reported favorably from committee and passed the Senate by substantial margins, indicating broad support for the symbolic renaming concept. The repeated floor passage votes suggest continued backing after amendment and reconsideration. The main point of discussion or potential contention is the selection of names themselves and the criteria used to choose among the listed rivers. The bill requires consideration of historical significance, which may invite debate over which rivers best represent the state’s history and regional identity. Any disagreement is likely to center on symbolism, geographic representation, and the Governor’s final naming authority rather than on major policy consequences.

Impact

The bill amends section 4.07 of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law to add a new duty for the Empire State Plaza Art Commission: recommending names for Agency Buildings One through Four at the Empire State Plaza from among major New York rivers, with historical significance as a required consideration. It also requires the Governor to finalize the names within 60 days of the commission’s recommendation. The measure changes state administrative and naming procedures for these buildings but does not impose new obligations on the public or private sector.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad support. It was reported favorably out of committee and passed the Senate by comfortable margins on floor votes, suggesting the chamber viewed it as a noncontroversial or symbolic measure. The absence of recorded committee transcript debate also suggests limited public controversy in the available materials.

Contention

The likely area of contention is not the existence of the renaming process itself, but which river names should be selected and how historical significance should be weighed. Because the bill limits choices to major rivers and gives the Governor final naming authority after the commission’s recommendation, any disagreement would likely focus on regional representation, symbolism, and executive discretion. No strong opposition arguments are reflected in the available vote totals or materials, but the 17 and 12 nays on floor passage indicate some members were not fully supportive.