NY State Senate Bill 2025-S9301

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 17, 2026	reported and committed to civil service and pensions
Feb 26, 2026	referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation

Votes

- Mar 17, 2026 - Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation Committee Vote
  S9301
  
  Aye
  
  7
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation Committee Vote: Mar 17, 2026
      
      aye (7)
      
      Baskin
      
      Cooney
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Serrano
      
      Tedisco

co-Sponsors

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2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10417
Current Committee:: Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:: Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13.17, Pks & Rec L

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the New York state park police under the jurisdiction of the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation.

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9301

SPONSOR: MARTINEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to establishing the New York state park police

 
PURPOSE:

To clarify in statute that the New York State Park Police operates as an
independent law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Commis-
sioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, while preserving
the ability to collaborate and enter into a memorandum of understanding
with the Division of State Police and other law enforcement agencies.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends section 13.17 of the parks, recreation and historic
preservation law by adding a new subdivision to affirm the independent
operation of the New York State Park Police and to permit coordination
and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, provided such

corporation does not diminish the independent operational authority of
the Park Police.

Section 2: Is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The New York State Park Police is a distinct and specialized law
enforcement agency, enhancing public safety across our state parks,
historic sites, parkways, and recreational facilities. Officers operate
within diverse environments, from densely populated urban parks and
ocean beaches to vast natural areas and rugged terrain. In fulfilling
their mission, they protect visitors, enforce park regulations, conduct
investigations, respond to emergencies, and support public safety oper-
ations at some of the largest assemblies in the nation.

In 2019 and 2022, executive memorandums shifted the operational command
structure of the Park Police by transferring day-to-day operational
control to the Division of State Police. Although the Park Police
continued to exist statutorily as a separate force, these memorandums
created uncertainty regarding chain of command, operational independ-
ence, recruitment, training, and long-term workforce stability.

This legislation restores statutory clarity by reaffirming the New York
State Park Police's independent agency authority under the Commissioner
of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. At the same time, the
bill makes clear that independence of command does not preclude intera-
gency collaboration. The Park Police will retain the authority to coor-
dinate and cooperate with the Division of State Police and other law
enforcement agencies, including through memoranda of understanding, for
purposes such as training, emergency response, and mass gatherings. By
distinguishing between independent operational authority and cooperative
public safety efforts, the legislation ensures both accountability and
effective interagency partnership.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9301
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 26, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
   Parks and Recreation
 
 AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,  in
   relation to establishing the New York state park police
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 13.17 of the parks, recreation and historic preser-
 vation law, as amended by chapter 662 of the laws of 1972, is amended to
 read as follows:
   § 13.17 Regional state park police AND NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE.  1.
 All  members of any police force of a regional state park commission, as
 heretofore constituted, shall, unless transferred by or pursuant to  any
 other  provision of law, continue to be members of the park police force
 of their respective regions, in the office.
   2. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PRIOR MEMORANDUM, THERE SHALL CONTINUE TO BE  A
 LAW  ENFORCEMENT  DIVISION KNOWN AS THE NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE.  THE
 NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE SHALL FUNCTION AS AN INDEPENDENT LAW ENFORCE-
 MENT AGENCY SOLELY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COMMISSIONER, AND  SHALL
 NOT  BE  UNDER THE OPERATIONAL DIRECTION OF THE DIVISION OF THE NEW YORK
 STATE POLICE. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT THE NEW YORK  STATE
 PARK  POLICE  FROM COORDINATING, INCLUDING BY AGREEMENTS OR MEMORANDA OF
 UNDERSTANDING, WITH THE DIVISION OF NEW YORK STATE POLICE OR  OTHER  LAW
 ENFORCEMENT  AGENCIES  WITH RESPECT TO TRAINING, STRATEGIC PREPAREDNESS,
 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, MASS GATHERINGS, OR OTHER MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN,
 PROVIDED THAT SUCH COORDINATION SHALL NOT RESTRICT OR TRANSFER THE INDE-
 PENDENT OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY OF THE NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE.
   3. Any member who shall complete twenty-five years of total service as
 a member of the New York regional state park police on  or  after  April
 first,  nineteen  hundred  sixty-six  but who has not attained sixty-two
 years of age at the time of completion of such period of service,  shall
 be separated from such service upon attaining such age.
   [3]  4. Any member who shall attain sixty-two years of age on or after
 April first, nineteen hundred sixty-six, but who has not completed twen-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD14932-01-6
 S. 9301                             2
 
 ty-five years of such total service at the time of attaining  such  age,
 shall  be  separated  from  such  service upon completing such period of
 service.
   [4]  5. Any member appointed on or after April first, nineteen hundred
 sixty-five shall be separated from such service upon attaining sixty-two
 years of age.
   [5] 6. The provisions of subdivisions [two,]  three  [and],  four  AND
 FIVE  of this section shall not apply to the commanding officer or chief
 of any police force of a park region, nor to  any  member  who  has  not
 elected  and  is  not required to contribute in accordance with sections
 three hundred  eighty-three  or  three  hundred  eighty-three-a  of  the
 retirement and social security law.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S9301

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Actions

Votes

Mar 17, 2026 - Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation Committee Vote

Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation Committee Vote: Mar 17, 2026

co-Sponsors

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Actions

Votes

co-Sponsors

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9301 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments