Designates a portion of state route 353 as the "Trooper Gary E. Kubasiak Memorial Highway".

---

S3454-2011 Actions

• Jun 1, 2011: RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN
• May 25, 2011: RECOMMITTED TO TRANSPORTATION
• May 24, 2011: 1ST REPORT CAL.815
• Feb 23, 2011: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S3454-2011 Meetings

Transportation: May 24, 2011

S3454-2011 Calendars

Floor Calendar: May 25, 2011

S3454-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3454

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a certain portion
of state route three hundred
fifty-three
the "Trooper Gary E. Kubasiak Memorial
Highway"

PURPOSE:
To honor the memory of Trooper Gary E. Kubasiak, who lost his life in
the service of his community on August 30, 1982.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the highway law to designate the portion of state
route 353 between the intersections of state routes 62 and 39 as the
"Trooper Gary E. Kubasiak Memorial Highway".

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION:
The State Police, since its creation in 1917, has lost 124 brave and
dedicated members in its ceaseless furtherance of public peace and
order. Though now gone, these public servants' memory lives on, both
in the minds and hearts of the friends, neighbors and families whose
lives they touched, as well as in the repositories of New York
State's history. These men and women's names also grace the Wall of
Honor in the New York State Police Academy in Albany, but no single
distinction can rival their sacrifice; no words can accurately
reflect the enormity of what they gave up in the pursuit of their duty.

This bill is a commemoration of one such brave Trooper, Gary E.
Kubasiak, who was lethally shot responding to an assault in the Town
of Dayton on August 30, 1982.

On that day, Trooper Kubasiak, a nine year veteran of the State
Police, was off-duty putting
some finishing touches to his newly constructed home in the Town of
Perrysburg in Cattaraugus County. Trooper Kubasiak was married to his
wife, Melody, with whom he had two young boys:
Ryan and Randy, ages ten and seven.

That day, the State Police Fredonia Barracks was contacted by a mother
of a mentally unstable male, who she reported had just assaulted her.
The mother, who was able to escape the residence, was calling from a
neighbor's home. Troopers dispatched to the scene soon found that her
son had barricaded himself inside her residence, which was stocked
with firearms.

Upon word of these developments, Trooper Kubasiak took it upon himself
to respond to the scene and offer his assistance. Assigned to a K-9
unit, he arrived with his dog Donivan to be briefed by the other
troopers. Together, they resolved to end the dangerous standoff.
Trooper Kubasiak would make contact with the suspect at the front
door, while another officer covered the back of the house. However,


immediately after announcing his presence, Trooper Kubasiak was
tragically struck with three rounds from the suspect's high-powered
rifle. Upon hearing the gun shots, the second officer immediately
confronted the suspect, ordering him to drop his weapon. Failing to
respond, the suspect began to once again take aim, but before he was
able to pull the trigger, the officer fired, wounding him and causing
his rifle to fall. The suspect was placed in custody and secured by
State Police personnel. Following a lengthy trial, he was eventually
sentenced to spend the majority of his life in prison.

On sustaining his injuries, Trooper Kubasiak was immediately rushed to
Tri-County Memorial Hospital. There, he succumbed to what proved to
be lethal wounds. That day, he was the 95th member of the State
Police to be killed in the line of duty.

Every year since his death, Gary's family and friends, along with
members of the State Police have gathered together to remember and
honor his life and work through a mass and breakfast.
His two sons, Ryan and Randy, honor him in another way still: both
have followed in their father's footsteps and joined the State
Police, where they still serve today.

This bill is a small token of appreciation for the immeasurable
sacrifice that Trooper Gary E. Kubasiak made on that solemn day when
his life ended, on August 30th, 1982. It is a tribute to his memory,
which his family, community, the State Police and New York State
continue to honor.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S3454-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3454

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 23, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

  AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to  designating  a  certain
    portion  of state route three hundred fifty-three the "Trooper Gary E.
    Kubasiak Memorial Highway"

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


    Section  1.  The highway law is amended by adding a new section 342-vv
  to read as follows:

    S 342-VV. PORTION OF STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM  TO  BE  DESIGNATED  AS  THE
  "TROOPER GARY E. KUBASIAK MEMORIAL HIGHWAY". THAT PORTION OF STATE ROUTE
  THREE  HUNDRED  FIFTY-THREE  BETWEEN  THE  INTERSECTIONS  OF STATE ROUTE
  SIXTY-TWO AND STATE ROUTE THIRTY-NINE, A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY THREE
  AND TWO-TENTHS MILES, SHALL BE DESIGNATED AND KNOWN AS THE "TROOPER GARY
  E. KUBASIAK MEMORIAL HIGHWAY".
    S 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the  instal-
  lation  and  maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system
  as designated pursuant to section one of this  act.  However,  to  avoid
  confusion  and  to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the desig-
  nation called for pursuant to section one of this act shall  be  one  of
  ceremonial  nature  and  the  official name of such highway shall not be
  changed as a result of this act.
    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.



   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD08976-02-1