S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7164
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 27, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH -- read once and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Education
       AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law,  in  relation to creating a gun
         violence prevention program
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  This  act  shall  be  known  and may be cited as the "gun
    2  violence prevention act".
    3    S 2. Legislative intent. Gunshot injuries are a major cause  of  death
    4  for children and adolescents in the United States, accounting for twelve
    5  percent  of  all  premature  deaths. Further, for every young person who
    6  dies as the result of  a  gunshot  injury,  five  others  are  seriously
    7  injured  by  a  gunshot.  Concentrated  efforts in the areas of drug and
    8  alcohol abuse prevention have demonstrated that preventive education can
    9  reduce risks for youth. But although  there  are  many  drug  prevention
   10  programs, there are few gun violence prevention programs in existence.
   11    The intent of the legislature in enacting the "gun violence prevention
   12  act"  is  to implement a gun violence prevention program for school-aged
   13  youth and  their  families  to  help  young  people  to  develop  victim
   14  prevention  skills  and to rehearse behaviors needed to manage problems,
   15  such as conflict and peer pressure,  non-violently,  without  guns.  The
   16  program  would  not  oppose  gun ownership or the well-supervised use of
   17  guns for hunting or sport.
   18    S 3. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  3204-a  to
   19  read as follows:
   20    S  3204-A.  GUN  VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.  1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN
   21  CONSULTATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE  DIVI-
   22  SION  OF  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE  SERVICES,  THE  DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
   23  CONSERVATION AND ANY OTHER EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, IS AUTHORIZED  AND
   24  DIRECTED  TO  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS A GUN
   25  VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM.    THE  PROGRAM  SHALL  INCLUDE:  PRACTICAL
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00389-01-5
       A. 7164                             2
    1  SKILLS  WHICH  STUDENTS CAN USE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM; OPPORTUNITIES FOR
    2  SELF-REFLECTION  AND  ROLE-PLAY  OF  STUDENTS'  COPING  MECHANISMS   AND
    3  EMOTIONS;  STUDENT-SET  GOALS  FOR CHANGE; THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCY
    4  AND  LEADERSHIP  SKILLS  TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH PEERS AND THE COMMUNITY;
    5  AND PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT IN THE PROGRAM.
    6    2. EVERY SCHOOL MAY  INSTRUCT  STUDENTS  IN  PRE-KINDERGARTEN  THROUGH
    7  TWELFTH  GRADE  WITH  RESPECT TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION USING MATERIALS
    8  PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR SUCH PURPOSE.  EACH  SCHOOL  ELECTING  TO
    9  PROVIDE  SUCH INSTRUCTION MAY REQUEST INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THEREFOR
   10  FROM THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   11    3. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE A  REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE
   12  LEGISLATURE  ON  OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN, ASSESSING
   13  THE RESULTS OF THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT
   14  TO  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE FINDINGS AS
   15  TO THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON REDUCING GUNSHOT INJURIES AMONG CHILDREN  AND
   16  ADOLESCENTS  AND  SHALL  OFFER  RECOMMENDATIONS  AS  TO  WHETHER THE GUN
   17  VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED, MODIFIED OR  ELIMINATED,
   18  AND  WHETHER  OR  NOT  OTHER  GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS SHOULD BE
   19  AUTHORIZED.
   20    S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   21  it shall have become a law.