STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7517--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      May 25, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BENEDETTO  --  read once and referred to the
          Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the dissem-
          ination of materials regarding child access prevention  and  the  safe
          storage of firearms

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  808-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  808-a.  Firearms;  child access prevention and safe storage. 1. For
     4  the purposes of this section the following terms shall have the  follow-
     5  ing meanings:
     6    a.  "school  district"  shall  mean  any  city school district, common
     7  school district, union free school district, central school district  or
     8  central high school district;
     9    b.  "school"  shall  mean  any public school district, charter school,
    10  private school, parochial school, or board  of  cooperative  educational
    11  services;
    12    c.  "private  school" shall mean a person, firm, association, partner-
    13  ship, or corporation offering or conducting private  school  instruction
    14  in the state;
    15    d.  "notice"  shall  mean  written  information  of  the model content
    16  outlined in subdivision two of this  section,  produced  in  a  concise,
    17  publishable  format,  such  as  a  brochure,  flyer,  handbill, leaflet,
    18  letter, or pamphlet,  that  is  intended  to  be  provided  directly  to
    19  parents,  guardians, or persons in parental relation to a student of the
    20  school, delivered to a receptacle designated for a student, mailed to  a
    21  student's  last  known address, emailed to a person in parental relation
    22  to a student of the school, or delivered by any other reasonable methods
    23  authorized by the commissioner; and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11045-05-3

        A. 7517--A                          2

     1    e. "school year" shall mean the period commencing on the first day  of
     2  regular instruction and shall end on the last day of instruction.
     3    2.  a.  On or before July first, two thousand twenty-four, the depart-
     4  ment shall develop model content for notice,  produced  in  the  English
     5  language  and in common non-English languages spoken in the state, which
     6  shall include, at a minimum,  information  outlining  New  York's  child
     7  access  prevention  laws  and  laws  relating  to  the  safe  storage of
     8  firearms, including, but not limited to, sections 265.45 and  265.50  of
     9  the  penal  law. The model content shall also include relevant statewide
    10  resources and information related to child access prevention,  the  safe
    11  storage of firearms, and firearm violence prevention.
    12    b.    Such  model  content  shall  designate a section for county- and
    13  local-specific laws and regulations submitted to it by  each  county  as
    14  outlined  in  subdivision  three  of  this section. The department shall
    15  tailor the model content for each county by including in the  designated
    16  section  for county- and local-specific laws and regulations the county-
    17  and local-specific laws submitted to it by each county.
    18    c. On or before July first, two thousand twenty-five,  and  each  July
    19  first  thereafter,  the department shall update, as necessary, the model
    20  content developed pursuant to paragraphs a and b of this subdivision.
    21    d. The department  shall  publish  the  model  content  developed  and
    22  updated  pursuant  to  paragraphs a, b, and c of this subdivision on its
    23  website.
    24    3. a. On or before May first, two thousand twenty-four,  every  county
    25  shall submit to the department all information of county- and local-spe-
    26  cific  laws  and  regulations related to child access prevention and the
    27  safe storage of firearms.
    28    b. On or before May first, two  thousand  twenty-five,  and  each  May
    29  first  thereafter,  every  county  shall  submit  to  the department any
    30  updated information, insofar as it exists, of county- and local-specific
    31  laws related  to  child  access  prevention  and  the  safe  storage  of
    32  firearms.
    33    4.  Beginning  on  July  first,  two  thousand twenty-four, all school
    34  districts shall provide notice, at the beginning of the  first  semester
    35  or  quarter of the regular school year, of the model content outlined in
    36  paragraphs a and b of subdivision two of this section; provided,  howev-
    37  er,  that  if  a  child  enrolls after the beginning of the school year,
    38  notice of the model content shall be provided within one  week  of  such
    39  enrollment.  Notice  of  the  model  content may be provided as a single
    40  notice for multiple students living in the same household.
    41    5. Beginning on July  first,  two  thousand  twenty-four,  all  school
    42  districts  shall  maintain,  through  their website or affiliated social
    43  media presences, the model content outlined in paragraphs  a  and  b  of
    44  subdivision  two of this section. The model content shall be updated, as
    45  necessary, pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision two of this section.
    46    6. Local schools, school districts, and the department are immune from
    47  civil liability for any damages allegedly caused by, arising out of,  or
    48  relating to notice if the entity provided notice using the model content
    49  provided to it by the department.
    50    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.