Assembly Bill A1208

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1208
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, DAVILA, ZINERMAN, EPSTEIN, MEEKS, ANDER-
   SON, GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- Multi-Sponsored by  --  M.  of  A.  R. CARROLL,
   COLTON,  DILAN,  McDONOUGH,  PEOPLES-STOKES,  ROZIC, SEAWRIGHT -- read
   once and referred 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".
   §  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.
   §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a to
 read as follows:
   § 3204-A. GUN VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.  1.  THE  DEPARTMENT,  IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE DIVI-
 SION 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.
                                                            LBD02866-01-5
              

 A. 1208                             2
 
 DIRECTED TO DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  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 TWENTY-EIGHT, ASSESS-
 ING 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.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.