Bill Text: NY S06980 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Requires the dissemination of written materials regarding child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms to students and/or persons in a parental relationship to such students at the beginning of each semester or quarter of the regular school year beginning on and after July 1, 2024.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-04-02 - referred to education [S06980 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S06980-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6980

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- 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 requiring the  dissem-
          ination  of  materials  regarding child access prevention and the safe
          storage of firearms

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 808-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 808-a. Firearms; child access prevention and safe  storage.  1.  For
     4  the  purposes of this section the following terms shall have the follow-
     5  ing meanings:
     6    a. "school district" shall  mean  any  city  school  district,  common
     7  school  district, union free school district, central school district or
     8  central high school district;
     9    b. "school" shall mean any public  school  district,  charter  school,
    10  private  school,  parochial  school, or board of cooperative educational
    11  services;
    12    c. "private school" shall mean a person, firm,  association,  partner-
    13  ship,  or  corporation offering or conducting private school instruction
    14  in the state;
    15    d. "notice" shall  mean  written  information  of  the  model  content
    16  outlined  in  subdivision  two  of  this section, produced in a concise,
    17  publishable format,  such  as  a  brochure,  flyer,  handbill,  leaflet,
    18  letter,  or  pamphlet,  that  is  intended  to  be  provided directly to
    19  parents, guardians, or persons in parental relation to a student of  the
    20  school,  delivered to a receptacle designated for a student, mailed to a
    21  student's last known address, emailed to a person in  parental  relation
    22  to a student of the school, or delivered by any other reasonable methods
    23  authorized by the commissioner; and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11045-02-3
        S. 6980                             2

     1    e.  "school year" shall mean the period commencing on the first day of
     2  regular instruction and shall end on the last day of instruction.
     3    2.  a.  On or before July first, two thousand twenty-four, the depart-
     4  ment shall develop model content for notice,  produced  in  the  English
     5  language  and in common non-English languages spoken in the state, which
     6  shall include, at a minimum,  information  outlining  New  York's  child
     7  access  prevention  laws  and  laws  relating  to  the  safe  storage of
     8  firearms, including, but not limited to, sections 265.45 and  265.50  of
     9  the  penal  law. The model content shall also include relevant statewide
    10  resources and information related to child access prevention,  the  safe
    11  storage of firearms, and firearm violence prevention.
    12    b.    Such  model  content  shall  designate a section for county- and
    13  local-specific laws and regulations submitted to it by  each  county  as
    14  outlined  in  subdivision  three  of  this section. The department shall
    15  tailor the model content for each county by including in the  designated
    16  section  for county- and local-specific laws and regulations the county-
    17  and local-specific laws submitted to it by each county.
    18    c. On or before July first, two thousand twenty-five,  and  each  July
    19  first  thereafter,  the department shall update, as necessary, the model
    20  content developed pursuant to paragraphs a and b of this subdivision.
    21    d. The department  shall  publish  the  model  content  developed  and
    22  updated  pursuant  to  paragraphs a, b, and c of this subdivision on its
    23  website.
    24    3. a. On or before May first, two thousand twenty-four,  every  county
    25  shall submit to the department all information of county- and local-spe-
    26  cific  laws  and  regulations related to child access prevention and the
    27  safe storage of firearms.
    28    b. On or before May first, two  thousand  twenty-five,  and  each  May
    29  first  thereafter,  every  county  shall  submit  to  the department any
    30  updated information, insofar as it exists, of county- and local-specific
    31  laws related  to  child  access  prevention  and  the  safe  storage  of
    32  firearms.
    33    4.  On  or  before  July first, two thousand twenty-four, every school
    34  district shall establish policies and procedures for  delivering  notice
    35  of  the  model content outlined in paragraphs a and b of subdivision two
    36  of this section to parents, guardians, or persons in  parental  relation
    37  to the students of the district.
    38    5.  Beginning  on  July  first,  two  thousand twenty-four, all school
    39  districts shall provide notice, at the beginning of the  first  semester
    40  or  quarter of the regular school year, of the model content outlined in
    41  paragraphs a and b of subdivision two of this section; provided,  howev-
    42  er,  that  if  a  child  enrolls after the beginning of the school year,
    43  notice of the model content shall be provided within one  week  of  such
    44  enrollment.  Notice  of  the  model  content may be provided as a single
    45  notice for multiple students living in the same household.
    46    6. Beginning on July  first,  two  thousand  twenty-four,  all  school
    47  districts  shall  maintain,  through  their website or affiliated social
    48  media presences, the model content outlined in paragraphs  a  and  b  of
    49  subdivision  two of this section. The model content shall be updated, as
    50  necessary, pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision two of this section.
    51    7. Local schools, school districts, and the department are immune from
    52  civil liability for any damages allegedly caused by, arising out of,  or
    53  relating to notice if the entity provided notice using the model content
    54  provided to it by the department.
    55    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.