S62-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S62-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S62

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to creating a gun violence
prevention program

PURPOSE:
Provides for a gun violence prevention program which may be utilized
in the public schools. The program will be developed by the State
Education Department, drawing upon the expertise of the Department of
Health, the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Department
of Environmental Conservation.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill adds a new section 3204-a to the education law directing the
State Education Department to develop and make available to
school-aged youth and their families a gun violence prevention
program. It also requires the Department to report to the Governor
and the Legislature one year after the effective date of the law,
assessing the results of the gun violence prevention program hereby
established. The bill provides that the report will include findings
as to the program's impact on reducing gunshot injuries among
children and adolescents, will offer recommendations as to whether
the gun violence prevention program should be expanded, modified, or
eliminated and whether other gun violence prevention programs should
be authorized.

JUSTIFICATION:
Gunshot injuries are a major cause of death for children and
adolescents in the United States, accounting for 12% 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 preventative education can reduce
risks for youth. But while 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. It is a primary prevention
program designed to help young people develop victim prevention
skills and to rehearse behaviors needed to manage problems, such as
conflict and peer pressure, non-violently, without guns. The program
does not oppose gun ownership or the well-supervised use of guns for
hunting or sport. Thus, this is not a "pro-gun" or "anti-gun"
measure. It is simply designed to use the resources of the State
Education Department to protect children from an untimely death due
to a gunshot.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2011-12: S.669-A
2010:    S.4082/A.506  - Referred to Education
2008:    S.1930/A.8408 - Referred to Education
2007:    S.1930/A.8408 - Referred to Education

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


Small cost to the state for developing and disseminating materials.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

S62-2013 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                          62
 2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 (PREFILED)
 January 9, 2013
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 

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:

 

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
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01089-01-3
 
       S. 62                               2
 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 FIFTEEN, 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.

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