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An 1896 appropriations act (Chapter 949) allocated money for the construction at Dannemora of buildings to accommodate "three hundred insane convicts," the money to be spent under the direction of the superintendent of state prisons. The next year, when continuation of construction was authorized (Laws of 1897, Chapter 395), the name specified to be used for the facility upon completion was the Dannemora State Hospital for Insane Convicts.

Assemblyman William B. Hoyt served in the state assembly (Democrat, Assembly District 144 in Erie County) from 1974 until his death in 1992. During that time he sponsored over 145 bills that eventually passed into law. He chaired the Standing Committee on Energy, and was a member of the committees on Environmental Conservation; Children and Families (chair of the Subcommittee on Child Abuse); Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; and Ways and Means.

For the first fifty years of the State's history, local governments and private agencies were responsible for the care of New York State's mentally ill. In 1836 (Chapter 82), the legislature authorized the construction of the State's first mental health institution, the State Lunatic Asylum at Utica, which opened in 1843. By 1890, the State had opened nine additional asylums for the mentally ill. Local governments were responsible for expenses of inmates at these asylums and continued to confine the mentally ill in jails and poorhouses.

State regulation of public utilities dates from the early nineteenth century, when the legislature began including financial and service requirements in incorporation statutes. More systematic oversight began with an 1843 assembly resolution requiring railroads to submit reports to the secretary of state. Five years later (Laws of 1848, Chapter 140), the railroads were required to report instead to the state engineer and surveyor on financial affairs, equipment, and passengers and freight carried.

The Legislative Commission on Economy and Efficiency in Government was established by Chapter 50, Laws of 1979 (the annual state budget act). It was continued in operation via reappropriations in the budget laws of succeeding years, but was never given any separate statutory base. In 1986, the budget law changed the commission's name to the Legislative Commission on Public Management Systems; however, its structure and duties have remained unchanged.

The State of New York Mortgage Agency was established as a public benefit corporation by Laws of 1970, Chapter 612 (as amended by Chapters 613 and 614), to "provide increased availability of residential mortgage funds." Laws of 1972, Chapter 234, further authorized SONYMA to "issue its bonds and notes for the purpose of making available funds" for student loans. The agency is administratively situated within the Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

The origins of this department can be traced to the Dutch office of surveyor general established in 1642 to survey the lands of the Province of New Netherland. The office was continued under the British colonial government and reestablished after New York became a state (Laws of 1781, Chapter 32). The surveyor general was appointed by the Council of Appointment until 1821, when the new constitution provided for election by the legislature. Surveying the public lands continued to be the principal function of the office.

The State Traffic Commission, established by the legislature in 1936 (Chapter 910), was New York State's first agency with traffic safety responsibilities, but its main responsibilities related to traffic engineering and traffic control. The first State agency responsible solely for traffic safety was the Traffic Safety Policy Coordination Committee, established by an executive order of May 4, 1957, to advise the governor and coordinate State traffic safety efforts.

The Division of Criminal Justice Services was established within the Executive Department in 1972 (Chapter 399). The division was the result of the consolidation of three separate governmental units: the New York State Identification and Intelligence System (NYSIIS), the Office of Local Government's Division for Local Police, and the Office of Planning Service's Division of Criminal Justice. NYSIIS had been established in 1965 (Chapter 353) as a service agency within the Executive Department to gather, computerize, retrieve, and disseminate criminal justice information.

The Office of Employee Relations was created by the Laws of 1969 (Chapter 491). The office is headed by a director appointed by the governor. Its basic functions have remained unchanged since 1969, but it has assumed additional responsibilities such as providing partial funding (along with public employee unions) of employee training and development, health benefits, safety and health, and day-care programs.