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Assembly Bill A6639

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring sawyer training for employees engaged in tree maintenance

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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2025-A6639 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S6824
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law
Laws Affected:
Add §3.16, Pks & Rec L

2025-A6639 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that employees of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation who engage in tree maintenance must first obtain an appropriate sawyer certification through the United States forest service national crosscut and chainsaw program.

2025-A6639 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6639
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KIM -- read once and referred to the Committee on
   Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
 
 AN  ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
   relation to requiring sawyer training for employees  engaged  in  tree
   maintenance

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The parks, recreation  and  historic  preservation  law  is
 amended by adding a new section 3.16 to read as follows:
   § 3.16 REQUIRED  SAWYER  TRAINING. 1. BEGINNING APRIL FIRST, TWO THOU-
 SAND TWENTY-SIX, NO PERSON EMPLOYED BY THE OFFICE SHALL:
   (A) ENGAGE IN TREE MAINTENANCE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BRUSHING,
 BUCKING, LIMBING, AND FELLING, WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A LEVEL A  SAWYER
 CERTIFICATION THROUGH THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL CROSSCUT
 AND CHAINSAW PROGRAM;
   (B)  ENGAGE  IN TREE MAINTENANCE IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WITHOUT FIRST
 OBTAINING A LEVEL B  SAWYER  CERTIFICATION  THROUGH  THE  UNITED  STATES
 FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL CROSSCUT AND CHAINSAW PROGRAM; OR
   (C) PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING ON TREE MAINTENANCE WITHOUT FIRST
 OBTAINING  A  LEVEL  C  SAWYER  CERTIFICATION  THROUGH THE UNITED STATES
 FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL CROSSCUT AND CHAINSAW PROGRAM.
   2. ALL TRAINING MANDATED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONDUCTED DURING THE
 EMPLOYEE'S REGULAR WORKING HOURS AND  EMPLOYEES  SHALL  RECEIVE  COMPEN-
 SATION  AT THEIR REGULAR RATE OF PAY FOR ANY TIME SPENT PARTICIPATING IN
 SUCH TRAINING.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS" SHALL MEAN
 ANY SITUATION THAT POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY  OF
 PERSONNEL,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  NATURAL DISASTERS, EXTREME
 WEATHER, AND OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10350-01-5

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