Senate Bill S9301

                             
                     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.