PART O Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 969 of the general municipal law, as amended by section 1 of part F of chapter 262 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows: (a) Except as provided in this section, any designation of an area as 49 an empire zone shall remain in effect during the period beginning on the date of designation and ending [September thirteenth] March thirty-first, two thousand [four] five. § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.