Provides for a gun violence prevention program in the public schools; provides that the program is to be developed by the department of education in conjunction with other state agencies and educational organizations and is to be made available to schools for use in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade; provides for a report to the governor and the legislature on the program; enacts the "gun violence prevention act".

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S669A-2011 Actions

• Mar 12, 2012: COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
• Mar 8, 2012: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO EDUCATION
• Dec 16, 2011: PRINT NUMBER 669A
• Dec 16, 2011: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S669A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S669AREVVISED 01/09/12

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:
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.


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

S669A-2011 Text

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

                                   669--A

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 5, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
    discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
    to said committee

  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

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00942-02-1

 S. 669--A                           2

  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.