§ 351. Statement of legislative findings and declaration. It is hereby found and declared that New York state needs, as a matter of public policy, to create competitive financial incentives for businesses to create jobs and invest in the new economy. The excelsior jobs program act is created to support the growth of the state's traditional economic pillars including the manufacturing and financial industries and to ensure that New York emerges as the leader in the knowledge, technology and innovation based economy. The program will encourage the expansion in and relocation to New York of businesses in growth industries such as clean-tech, broadband, information systems, renewable energy and biotechnology.

This legislation creates the excelsior jobs program, which has four components: the excelsior jobs tax credit, the excelsior investment tax credit, the excelsior research and development tax credit and the excelsior real property tax credit. These credits are designed to promote business expansion in New York state and increase jobs in the new economy. At the same time, the program protects state taxpayers' dollars by ensuring that New York provides tax benefits only to businesses that have created the promised jobs and made the promised investments.