The New York State Senate

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

                                  4082

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              April 9, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  SCHNEIDERMAN, ADAMS, BRESLIN, DIAZ, DUANE, FOLEY,
  HASSELL-THOMPSON,  KRUEGER,  MONTGOMERY,  ONORATO,  PERKINS,  SAMPSON,
  SAVINO, STAVISKY, THOMPSON -- 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 LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,  THE
DIVISION  OF  CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION, AND ANY OTHER EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, IS AUTHORIZED AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00895-01-9

S. 4082                             2

DIRECTED TO DEVELOP AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL 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 ELEVEN, 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.