Assembly Bill A8895

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8895
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. BENEDETTO, LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Local Governments
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general municipal law, in relation to municipal
   shooting ranges; and directing the department of health to  conduct  a
   study  describing  the contaminants and other pollutants in the ground
   and water bodies adjacent to certain shooting ranges
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  municipal  law  is  amended by adding a new
 section 97-a to read as follows:
   § 97-A. MUNICIPAL SHOOTING RANGES.  1. ALL SHOOTING  RANGES  OWNED  OR
 USED  BY  A MUNICIPALITY, INCLUDING SHOOTING RANGES USED BY LAW ENFORCE-
 MENT FOR TRAINING PURPOSES, SHALL ONLY BE  IN  OPERATION  BETWEEN  EIGHT
 A.M. AND EIGHT P.M.  AND ONLY OPERATE ONE WEEKEND PER MONTH.
   2.  SUCH  SHOOTING  RANGES  SHALL  BE FULLY ENCLOSED WITH PROPER SOUND
 ABATEMENT AND ANY BOMBS  DETONATED  AT  SUCH  SHOOTING  RANGE  SHALL  BE
 PERFORMED  IN  A  FULLY  ENCLOSED  AREA.    ANY NOISE OR NOISE POLLUTION
 RESULTING FROM THE ACTIVITY ON SUCH SHOOTING RANGE SHALL BE  IN  COMPLI-
 ANCE  WITH  ANY  APPLICABLE NOISE CONTROL LAWS OR ORDINANCES, OR, IF THE
 APPLICABLE NOISE CONTROL LAWS OR ORDINANCES  HAVE  NO  LEGAL  FORCE  AND
 EFFECT  AGAINST  SUCH  OWNER  OR  USER  OR THERE ARE NO APPLICABLE NOISE
 CONTROL LAWS OR ORDINANCES AT THE TIME OF THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  THEN  THE  A-WEIGHTED  SOUND  LEVEL  OF SMALL ARMS FIRE ON THE
 SHOOTING RANGE SHALL NOT EXCEED 90 DB(A) FOR ONE HOUR OUT OF A  DAY,  OR
 SHALL  NOT  EXCEED 80 DB(A) FOR EIGHT HOURS OUT OF A DAY MEASURED AT, OR
 ADJUSTED TO, A DISTANCE OF ONE HUNDRED FEET OUTSIDE  THE  REAL  PROPERTY
 BOUNDARY OF THE SHOOTING RANGE.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A)  "SHOOTING RANGE" SHALL MEAN A RANGE EQUIPPED WITH TARGETS FOR USE
 WITH FIREARMS AND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,  ALL  RIFLE,
 PISTOL  AND SHOTGUN RANGES AND RANGES USED FOR TRAINING LAW ENFORCEMENT,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05105-01-5
              

 A. 8895                             2
 
 INCLUDING RANGES USED FOR AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC  WEAPONS  AND  THE
 DETONATION OF BOMBS.
   (B) "A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL" SHALL MEAN THE SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL MEAS-
 URED  BY  THE USE OF AN INSTRUMENT WITH THE METERING CHARACTERISTICS AND
 A-WEIGHTING FREQUENCY RESPONSE PRESCRIBED BY SOUND  LEVEL  METERS  USING
 THE IMPULSE RESPONSE MODE.
   (C)  "SOUND  PRESSURE  LEVEL" SHALL MEAN TWENTY TIMES THE LOGARITHM TO
 THE BASE TEN OF THE RATIO OF THE ROOT MEAN SQUARED PRESSURE OF  A  SOUND
 TO A REFERENCE PRESSURE OF TWENTY MICROPASCALS. THE UNIT APPLIED TO THIS
 MEASURE SHALL BE THE DECIBEL (DB).
   (D)  "SMALL  ARMS"  SHALL  MEAN  PROJECTILE FIREARMS OF SMALL CALIBER,
 INCLUDING RIFLES, PISTOLS AND SHOTGUNS.
   § 2. The department of health, with the assistance of  the  department
 of  environmental  conservation,  shall  conduct  a study describing the
 contaminants and other pollutants in the ground and  water  bodies  that
 are  adjacent  to  each  shooting range owned or used by a municipality,
 including any shooting ranges  used  by  law  enforcement  for  training
 purposes. The department of health shall deliver a written report of its
 findings  to  the governor and the legislature one year after the effec-
 tive date of this act. The department shall also establish a remediation
 plan, if needed, and shall make such a plan  readily  available  on  the
 department's website.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.