ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- State Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara plan to make an online questionnaire available for N.Y. citizens, to find out why people continue to move out of the state, they said Thursday.

The questionnaire will be targeted towards finding out how upstate N.Y.’s citizens feel but will be available for all New Yorkers to take.

“Let’s reach out to New Yorkers to find out what’s happening,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “If this continues we could face the possibility of losing a seat in the 2022 redistricting, reducing our representation in Washington DC. New York State must address the needs, interests, and concerns of these communities if we are serious about stopping the population decline,” he said.

“When enough people who can afford to leave New York State are gone, who will be left to pay for the infrastructure, health care, schools and other necessities?” said Sen. Tedisco. “This is a bi-partisan effort to shine the light on this problem that’s causing people to leave our Upstate communities and to find out why the Empire State is fast becoming the ‘Empty State’ so we can change the agenda to keep them here,” he said.

Roundtable discussions with small businesses, workforce development, health care, education, economic growth and development, manufacturing and technology representatives will be held once data from the questionnaires have been collected.

According to U.S. Census information, N.Y.’s population has steadily decreased over the past 4 years. The Empire Center said they estimate approximately 1.4 million residents have moved out of N.Y. and gone to other states.

The launch of the questionnaire, as well as the date and location of the roundtable discussions, will be announced at a later date.