NY State Senate Bill 2015-S8176

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Aug 12, 2016	referred to rules

co-Sponsors

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Canal Law
Laws Affected:: Add §135, Can L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S1860
2019-2020: S233

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the accessibility of ring life buoys on piers in the canal system which comply with certain US Coast Guard standards.

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S8176

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the canal law, in relation to
requiring the accessibility of ring life buoys on piers in the canal
system

 PURPOSE :

To provide safety equipment for all those working on and enjoying the
canal system

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Requires ring life buoys to be installed on each pier, wharf, lock,
and dock of the canal system.

 EXISTING LAW :

There is no current requirement.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Aaron Teater, like many residents of the hundreds of surrounding
communities and countless visitors to the Erie Canal, enjoyed fishing
in the Canal. He often chose a spot on a pier in Sylvan Beach Park.
On a sunny afternoon in May, Aaron was sitting on that pier when his

tackle box, full of heirloom lures given to him by his deceased
grandfather who taught him how to fish, fell off the pier into the
canal. A good swimmer, Aaron dove in after it to rescue those precious
memories. Icy cold water and a strong undercurrent pulled Aaron away
from the pier once he retrieved his tackle box.

Desperately trying to swim to a spot on the pier where he could hoist
himself up, he struggled against the current. His mother reached out
with an extendable fishing net, the only piece of equipment she could
find to help him. With no rope and no life preserving equipment, the
fishing net alone was not able to reach Aaron, who tragically drowned
in the canal that afternoon.

His mother, who had no other options and was helpless against the
current and temperature of the canal, watched her only son drown.
Aaron did not have any life saving equipment or flotation devices on
him or with him as he was sitting on the pier fishing and there were
none in sight on the pier. This legislation would require ring life
buoys to be located on every pier, wharf, lock, and dock to be used as
emergency equipment in the event that anyone who, like Aaron, may fall
into the Canal while working on or enjoying the historic canal system.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
180 days from which it became law.

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  8176

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             August 12, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. VALESKY, GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed,
  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN ACT to amend the canal law, in relation to requiring the  accessibil-
  ity of ring life buoys on piers in the canal system

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

  Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
"Aaron's Law".
  S  2.  The canal law is amended by adding a new section 135 to read as
follows:
  S 135. LIFE BUOYS REQUIRED ON ALL PIERS, WHARFS, LOCKS AND DOCKS.   1.
ON  EACH  PIER,  WHARF,  LOCK AND DOCK, AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THE
NAVIGATION LAW, IN THE CANAL SYSTEM, THE  CORPORATION  MUST  LOCATE  ONE
RING LIFE BUOY ON EACH SIDE OF THE PIER, WHARF, LOCK AND DOCK AS WELL AS
ONE  NEAR EACH EXTERNAL STAIRWAY LEADING TO WATER.  ONE BUOY PER SIDE OF
THE PIER MAY BE USED TO SATISFY BOTH OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
  2. EACH RING LIFE BUOY MUST BE STOWED ON OR IN A RACK THAT IS  READILY
ACCESSIBLE  IN  AN EMERGENCY. THE RING LIFE BUOY MUST NOT BE PERMANENTLY
SECURED IN ANY WAY TO THE RACK OR THE PIER.
  3. RING LIFE BUOYS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:
  (A) THE RING LIFE BUOY SHALL BE APPROVED UNDER APPROVAL SERIES 160.050
OR 160.150 FOR SOLAS-APPROVED EQUIPMENT OR SUCCESSOR STANDARDS ISSUED BY
THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.
  (B) EACH RING LIFE BUOY SHALL HAVE A  FLOATING  ELECTRIC  WATER  LIGHT
APPROVED  UNDER  APPROVAL  SERIES  161.010. THE CORPORATION SHALL ENSURE
THAT THE LIGHT TO THE RING  LIFE  BUOY  IS  ATTACHED  BY  A  LANYARD  OF
12-THREAD  MANILA,  OR  SYNTHETIC  ROPE OF EQUIVALENT STRENGTH, NOT LESS
THAN THREE FEET NOR MORE THAN SIX FEET IN  LENGTH.  THE  LIGHT  MUST  BE
MOUNTED  ON A BRACKET NEAR THE RING LIFE BUOY SO THAT WHEN THE RING LIFE
BUOY IS CAST LOOSE THE LIGHT WILL BE PULLED FREE OF THE BRACKET.
  (C) TO EACH RING LIFE BUOY, THERE SHALL BE ATTACHED A BUOYANT LINE  OF
AT  LEAST  ONE  HUNDRED  FEET  IN LENGTH, WITH A BREAKING STRENGTH OF AT
LEAST FIVE KILONEWTONS FORCE. THE END OF THE LINE MUST NOT BE SECURED TO
THE PIER.

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

                                                           LBD15999-01-6

S. 8176                             2

  (D) EACH RING LIFE BUOY SHALL BE MARKED WITH TYPE II REFLECTIVE  MATE-
RIAL, APPROVED UNDER APPROVAL SERIES 164.018.
  4.  THE  CORPORATION  MAY  PROMULGATE  RULES AND REGULATIONS AS TO THE
APPLICABILITY AND PLACEMENT OF RING LIFE BUOYS IN LOCATIONS ON THE CANAL
SYSTEM NOT COVERED IN THIS SECTION.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S8176

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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co-Sponsors

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

David J. Valesky

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Patrick M. Gallivan

Joseph A. Griffo

Timothy M. Kennedy

Michael H. Ranzenhofer

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S8176 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments