NY State Senate Bill 2015-S5586

Senate Bill S5586

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation to cooperate with municipalities in establishing adopt-a-park programs

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
May 15, 2015	referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation

2015-S5586 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation
Law Section:: Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3.09, Pks & Rec L; amd §277, Gen Muni L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S7928
2011-2012: S2686
2013-2014: S1596
2017-2018: S205

2015-S5586 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation to cooperate with municipalities in establishing adopt-a-park programs; provides municipalities may enter into agreements with volunteer groups for provision of services.

2015-S5586 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S5586

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law and
the general municipal law, in relation to authorizing an adopt-a-park
program

PURPOSE:

This bill would direct the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Histor-
ic preservation to cooperate with municipalities in establishing an
adopt-a-park Program.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

§ 1 - Amends subdivision 4 of 3.09 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation Law.

§ 2 - Amends § 277 of the General Municipal Law.

§ 3 - Effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

Municipalities are often with limited budgets and strained resources.

This bill would provide assistance to municipalities who obtain techni-
cal advice and guidance in organizing volunteers to "adopt-a-park" that
is owned by the municipality. The Commissioner of Parks and Recreation
is granted authority to develop regulations necessary to implement the
program.

The "adopt-a-park" program will allow volunteers to cooperate in
projects to maintain and beautify parks such as vandalism remediation,
litter removal, developing and maintaining nature trails, planting and
maintaining flowerbeds, and otherwise improving the park. A similar
program, the "adopt-a-highway" was passed in 1985 and has been very
successful in using volunteer services to beautify New York highways.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.1596/A.9635 of 2013-2014; Referred to Codes.
S.2686-B/A.3409-B of 2011-2012; Vetoed.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Anticipated cost savings to local governments.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2015-S5586 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5586

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 15, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  FUNKE  -- 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  and
  the  general municipal law, in relation to authorizing an adopt-a-park
  program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision 4 of section 3.09 of the parks, recreation and
historic preservation law is amended to read as follows:
  4. Cooperate in the planning, organization, development and  operation
of  municipal  and  private park, recreational and historic preservation
projects and programs.  THE COMMISSIONER MAY PROVIDE  TECHNICAL  ASSIST-
ANCE  TO  MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE PLANNING, ORGANIZATION, DEVELOPMENT AND
OPERATION OF ADOPT-A-PARK PROGRAMS UNDERTAKEN PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  TWO
HUNDRED  SEVENTY-SEVEN  OF  THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF AN  INFORMATIONAL  GUIDE
FOR PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH PROGRAMS.
  S 2. Section 277 of the general municipal law, as added by chapter 626
of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as follows:
  S  277.  Adopt-a-municipal park, shoreline or roadway programs. 1. The
governing body of any county, city, town or village is hereby authorized
and empowered to authorize and direct such of its officers  or  agencies
as  it  shall designate to enter into adopt-a-park, shoreline or roadway
program agreements with volunteers or groups in an effort to reduce  and
remove  litter  from parks, shorelines, roadways and other public lands.
Such agreements shall include but not be limited to:
  a. providing and coordinating services  by  volunteers  or  groups  to
reduce the amount of litter including providing trash bags and trash bag
pick up and in designated areas where volunteers may be in close proxim-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06346-01-5

S. 5586                             2

ity  to moving vehicles providing safety briefings and reflective safety
gear; and
  b.  providing  and  installing  signs  identifying those volunteers or
groups adopting particular parks, shorelines, roadways or other sections
of public land.
  2. WITH RESPECT TO ADOPT-A-PARK PROGRAMS, A PROGRAM AGREEMENT MAY ALSO
BE ENTERED INTO FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES BY VOLUNTEERS OR GROUPS TO
PRESERVE, MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE MUNICIPALLY-OWNED  PARKS.  SUCH  PROGRAMS
MAY  INCLUDE,  BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, REMEDIATING VANDALISM, PRESERVING
WETLANDS, CLEANING AND MAINTAINING PARK PROPERTY, ESTABLISHING AND MAIN-
TAINING ACCESS TO NATURE TRAILS, ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING DOG  RUNS,
PLANTING  AND  MAINTAINING FLOWER BEDS OR OTHER VEGETATION, OR OTHERWISE
IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF SUCH PARKS.
  3. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, THE  STATE,  the
county,  city, town or village and its employees shall not be liable for
damages suffered by any persons resulting from the actions or activities
of such volunteers or groups.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.

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