The New York State Senate

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

                                  3509

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 23, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  MARKEY, GUNTHER, SKARTADOS, DUPREY, BARCLAY,
  MONTESANO, ROBERTS -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO,  BARRETT,
  BRENNAN, BROOK-KRASNY, COOK, CROUCH, GALEF, GLICK, GOTTFRIED, LOPEZ --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
  authorizing the forest ranger force to establish  a  training  program
  for volunteer wild land search and rescue personnel

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

  Section 1. Subdivision 18  of  section  9-0105  of  the  environmental
conservation  law,  as  added  by  chapter  617  of the laws of 1984, is
amended to read as follows:
  18. A. Establish, operate and maintain a search and rescue program  in
fire  towns  and  fire  districts of the state. For the purposes of this
section fire towns shall mean such towns provided for in section  9-1107
of  this  chapter  and  fire  districts  shall  be deemed to be the fire
protection areas provided for in section  9-1109  of  this  chapter  and
regulations  promulgated  pursuant  to  the  authority of such sections.
Pursuant to such program the forest ranger force of the department shall
have the authority to organize, direct and execute search operations for
lost persons or civilian aircraft  and  conduct  rescue  operations  for
persons  injured  or in serious danger of injury in the wild, remote and
forested areas of fire towns and fire districts of the  state;  provided
that, where criminal conduct is suspected or fugitive search is involved
such  search or rescue operations shall be conducted under the jurisdic-
tion of the appropriate law enforcement agency.  Search and rescue oper-
ations outside of fire towns and fire districts may be conducted by  the
forest  ranger  force  upon request of the agency conducting such opera-
tion.
  B. PURSUANT TO SUCH PROGRAM, THE FOREST RANGER FORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT
SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH, DIRECT AND MAINTAIN A PROGRAM FOR

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05719-01-5

A. 3509                             2

THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING VOLUNTEER,  WILD  LAND  SEARCH
AND  RESCUE PERSONNEL TO ASSIST AND RESPOND ALONG WITH THE FOREST RANGER
FORCE TO SEARCH FOR LOST AND MISSING PERSONS IN  THE  WILD,  REMOTE  AND
FORESTED AREAS OF THE STATE.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.