S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    514
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  JONES,  GOTTFRIED,  SANTABARBARA, J. RIVERA,
   MONTESANO, PALMESANO, B. MILLER, CAHILL, LAVINE, COOK, BYRNE, GOODELL,
   MORINELLO, FAHY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LUPARDO -- 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.

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

                                                            LBD05396-01-1

 A. 514                              2
 
   B. PURSUANT TO SUCH PROGRAM, THE FOREST RANGER FORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH, DIRECT AND MAINTAIN A PROGRAM FOR
 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.