Senate Bill S2148

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2148
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation
   to establishing the New York state violence  in  mass  media  research
   program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  239-d
 to read as follows:
   §  239-D.  NEW  YORK STATE VIOLENCE IN MASS MEDIA RESEARCH PROGRAM. 1.
 PROGRAM FORMATION AND GOALS. SUBJECT TO AMOUNTS AVAILABLE  BY  APPROPRI-
 ATION,  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE VIOLENCE IN MASS MEDIA RESEARCH PROGRAM IS
 HEREBY CREATED WITHIN  THE  FIREARM  VIOLENCE  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE.  THE
 PURPOSES OF SUCH PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE:
   (A) ADVISING THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, THE REGENTS, AND THE
 LEGISLATURE  ON  MATTERS RELATING TO THE EFFECTS OF REPORTING ON VIOLENT
 CRIME PRACTICES IN NEW YORK  STATE  AS  IT  RELATES  TO  UNINTENTIONALLY
 GLORIFYING  CERTAIN VIOLENT CRIMES IN SUCH A WAY THAT ENCOURAGES COPYCAT
 VIOLENT CRIMES, CONTRIBUTING TO  NEGATIVE  STEREOTYPING  OR  PREJUDICING
 JURORS IN RULINGS ON PRIVATE CITIZENS;
   (B)  FOSTERING,  PURSUING AND SPONSORING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON THE
 EFFECTS OF MASS MEDIA VIOLENT CRIME REPORTING;
   (C) INCREASING UNDERSTANDING BY ESTABLISHING AND REPORTING ON WHAT  IS
 KNOWN  AND  WHAT  IS NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF REPORTING ON VIOLENT
 CRIME BY MASS MEDIA;
   (D) IDENTIFYING PRIORITY NEEDS FOR THE RESEARCH OF  THE  EFFECTS  MASS
 MEDIA REPORTING ON VIOLENT CRIME AND INVENTORY WORK WITHIN NEW YORK THAT
 CURRENTLY ARE NOT RECEIVING ADEQUATE ATTENTION AND IDENTIFYING PUBLIC OR
 PRIVATE  ENTITIES  THAT ARE BEST SITUATED TO ADDRESS SUCH NEEDS, THEREBY
 LEADING TO BETTER COORDINATION OF FIREARM VIOLENCE RESEARCH  EFFORTS  IN
 THE STATE;
   (E)  PROMOTING  AWARENESS  OF  EXISTING AND NEW SOURCES OF INFORMATION
 CREATED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS AND OTHER EXPERTS ON  THE  EFFECTS  OF  CURRENT
 MASS MEDIA REPORTING OF VIOLENT CRIME WHILE EDUCATING ELECTED OFFICIALS,
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02358-01-5
 S. 2148                             2
 
 GOVERNMENTAL  AGENCIES,  AND  THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THESE ISSUES THROUGH
 SUCH MEANS AS IT MAY DETERMINE;
   (F) ORGANIZING AND SPONSORING MEETINGS ON FIREARM VIOLENCE TOPICS;
   (G) ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NETWORKS OF COLLABORATING EXPERTS
 ENGAGED IN RELATED ASPECTS OF FIREARM VIOLENCE RESEARCH;
   (H)  RAISING  SENSITIVITY TO FIREARM VIOLENCE CONCERNS AMONG STATE AND
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND SERVING AS A FORUM FOR  ENHANCED  INTERA-
 GENCY INFORMATION SHARING AND COOPERATION;
   (I) WORKING ON A CONTINUING BASIS WITH POLICYMAKERS IN THE LEGISLATURE
 AND  STATE  AGENCIES  TO  IDENTIFY,  IMPLEMENT,  AND EVALUATE INNOVATIVE
 FIREARM VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICIES AND PROGRAMS;
   (J) RECRUITING AND PROVIDING SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OPPORTUNITIES  FOR
 NEW  RESEARCHERS,  INCLUDING EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS IN RELATED FIELDS
 WHO ARE BEGINNING WORK ON MASS PUBLIC VIOLENCE, YOUNG INVESTIGATORS  WHO
 HAVE  COMPLETED THEIR EDUCATION, EXPERTS IN JOURNALISM LAW, POSTDOCTORAL
 SCHOLARS, DOCTORAL STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATES,  AND  REPRESENTATIVES  FROM
 MASS MEDIA; AND
   (K) PROVIDING COPIES OF THEIR RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE
 AND  TO  AGENCIES SUPPLYING DATA USED IN THE CONDUCT OF SUCH RESEARCH AS
 SOON AS IS PRACTICABLE FOLLOWING PUBLICATION.
   2. RESEARCH. THE NEW YORK STATE FIREARM  VIOLENCE  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE
 SHALL  FOSTER,  PURSUE, AND SPONSOR BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND TRANSFORM-
 ATIVE  RESEARCH,  FIELD  STUDIES,  AND  ALL  OTHER  SUCH  ACTIVITIES  TO
 RESEARCH:
   (A)  THE NATURE OF MASS MEDIA REPORTING OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING WHAT IS
 DISPLAYED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NAMES AND FACES OF PERPETRATORS,
 CRIME SCENES, AND PLANS, AND INDIVIDUAL  AND  SOCIETAL  DETERMINANTS  OF
 RISK  FOR  INVOLVEMENT IN MASS PUBLIC VIOLENCE, WHETHER AS A VICTIM OR A
 PERPETRATOR;
   (B) THE INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETAL CONSEQUENCES OF POTENTIAL-
 LY IRRESPONSIBLE MASS MEDIA REPORTING PRACTICES REGARDING VIOLENT CRIME;
   (C) THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MASS PUBLIC VIOLENCE AT THE  INDI-
 VIDUAL, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETAL LEVELS; AND
   (D)  THE  EFFECT  OF  MASS  MEDIA  REPORTING ON CONTRIBUTING TO RACIAL
 PROFILING AND STEREOTYPING AS IT RELATES TO ARRESTS, JUROR OUTCOMES, AND
 THE VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY OF PRIVATE CITIZENS  SCHEDULED  FOR  TRIAL,
 BUT NOT YET CONVICTED OF A CRIME.
   3.  FINANCING.  THE  VIOLENCE  IN MASS MEDIA RESEARCH PROGRAM SHALL BE
 FUNDED THROUGH THE FIREARM VIOLENCE RESEARCH FUND  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT
 TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-J OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   §  2.  Subdivision  5  of  section  97-j  of the state finance law, as
 amended by chapter 151 of the laws  of  2022,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   5.  Moneys  in the firearm violence research fund, following appropri-
 ation by the legislature, shall be available to  the  New  York  firearm
 violence research institute for its activities as set forth in [section]
 SECTIONS TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE-D AND three hundred fifty-five-e of the
 education law.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.    Effective  immediately,  the  addition,  amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
 completed by the commissioner of education on or before  such  effective
 date.