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STATE OF NEW YORK
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5899--A

2011-2012 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

March 2, 2011
___________

Introduced  by M. of A. KAVANAGH, AUBRY, CAMARA, PAULIN, PEOPLES-STOKES,
  ROBINSON, WRIGHT -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of  A.  GOTTFRIED,  McDO-
  NOUGH,  McENENY,  MENG,  WEISENBERG  --  read once and referred to the
  Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in
  accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged,  bill
  amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
  tee

AN ACT to amend the  education  law,  in  relation  to  creating  a  gun
  violence prevention program

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. This act shall be known  and  may  be  cited  as  the  "gun
violence prevention act".
  S  2.  Legislative intent. Gunshot injuries are a major cause of death
for children and adolescents in the United States, accounting for twelve
percent of all premature deaths. Further, for  every  young  person  who
dies  as  the  result  of  a  gunshot  injury, five others are seriously
injured by a gunshot. Concentrated efforts in  the  areas  of  drug  and
alcohol abuse prevention have demonstrated that preventive education can
reduce  risks  for  youth.  But  although there are many drug prevention
programs, there are few gun violence prevention programs in existence.
  The intent of the legislature in enacting the "gun violence prevention
act" is to implement a gun violence prevention program  for  school-aged
youth  and  their  families  to  help  young  people  to  develop victim
prevention skills and to rehearse behaviors needed to  manage  problems,
such  as  conflict  and  peer pressure, non-violently, without guns. The
program would not oppose gun ownership or  the  well-supervised  use  of
guns for hunting or sport.
  S  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00942-03-1
A. 5899--A                          2

  S 3204-A. GUN VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.  1.  THE  DEPARTMENT,  IN
CONSULTATION  WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE DIVI-
SION OF CRIMINAL  JUSTICE  SERVICES,  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION  AND ANY OTHER EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, IS AUTHORIZED AND
DIRECTED  TO  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS A GUN
VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM.    THE  PROGRAM  SHALL  INCLUDE:  PRACTICAL
SKILLS  WHICH  STUDENTS CAN USE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM; OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SELF-REFLECTION  AND  ROLE-PLAY  OF  STUDENTS'  COPING  MECHANISMS   AND
EMOTIONS;  STUDENT-SET  GOALS  FOR CHANGE; THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCY
AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH PEERS  AND  THE  COMMUNITY;
AND PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT IN THE PROGRAM.
  2.  EVERY  SCHOOL  MAY  INSTRUCT  STUDENTS IN PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH
TWELFTH GRADE WITH RESPECT TO GUN VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  USING  MATERIALS
PROVIDED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  FOR SUCH PURPOSE. EACH SCHOOL ELECTING TO
PROVIDE SUCH INSTRUCTION MAY REQUEST INFORMATION AND RESOURCES  THEREFOR
FROM THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
  3.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE  A  REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE
LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO  THOUSAND  FOURTEEN,  ASSESSING
THE  RESULTS OF THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT
TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE FINDINGS  AS
TO  THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON REDUCING GUNSHOT INJURIES AMONG CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENTS AND SHALL  OFFER  RECOMMENDATIONS  AS  TO  WHETHER  THE  GUN
VIOLENCE  PREVENTION PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED, MODIFIED OR ELIMINATED,
AND WHETHER OR NOT OTHER GUN  VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAMS  SHOULD  BE
AUTHORIZED.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.