BILL NUMBER:  S6895

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to establish a task force on tree maintenance and safety in the
city of New York; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof

 PURPOSE :

To establish a task force on tree maintenance and safety in the city
of New York and provides for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of this bill establishes a task force on tree maintenance
and safety in the city of New York to examine, evaluate, accept public
comment and make recommendations concerning the adequacy of the New
York city department of parks and recreation's policies for tree
maintenance and the status and safety of trees within the city of New
York.

Section 2 of this bill describes the composition of the task force,
which shall consist of eleven members to be appointed as follows:
Three members appointed by the New York State Arborists; Two members
              

appointed by New Yorkers for Parks; Two members appointed by Park
Advocates; One member appointed by the temporary president of the
Senate; One member appointed by the speaker of the Assembly; and two
members appointed by the Governor.

Section 3 of this bill states that members shall receive no
compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties
pursuant to this act.

Section 4 of this bill states that the task force shall be entitled to
request and receive resources and data of any department, division,
board, bureau, commission, district or agency of the state or any
political subdivision thereof as it may reasonably request to properly
carry out its powers and duties pursuant to this act.

Section 5 of this bill requires the task force to submit, within
eighteen months of the effective date of this act, a report of its
findings, conclusions and recommendations to the Governor, temporary
president of the Senate, speaker of the Assembly, minority leader of
the Senate and minority leader of the Assembly. It also states that
the report shall include legislative proposals deemed necessary to
implement its recommendations.

Section 6 of this bill states that this act shall take effect
immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed 18 months after
such date or on the date the report is submitted, whichever shall be
later; provided that the task force on tree maintenance and safety in
the city of New York shall notify the legislative bill drafting
commission upon the submission of such report in order that the
commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of
the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance
of the effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative
law and section 70-b of the public officers law.

 JUSTIFICATION :

For years there has been an increasing number of serious injuries and
deaths resulting from falling trees in New York City. For example, in
Bryant Park on September 4, 2015 a large tree branch fell on top of
five people, injuring three of them seriously. In 2013, a young woman,
Yingyi Li-Dikov--6 months pregnant with her first child, was killed
when she was struck by a falling tree in Kissena Park in Queens.
Between 2010 - 2013 there were at least 4 deaths that resulted from
diseased or damaged trees that had fallen.

Public properties belonging to the city of New York are home to
thousands of trees in varying states of health. The city is
responsible for maintaining these trees so that they remain healthy
and do not pose extraordinary dangers to public safety and property.

Due to widespread concerns that New York City's policies on the care
and maintenance of trees is not sufficient to protect the public from
unsafe trees, and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent in
the most efficient and effective manner, a task force should be
created to investigate the New York City Department of Parks and
Recreation's policies on tree maintenance and safety.

This bill would create a task force on tree maintenance and safety in
the city of New York to examine, evaluate, accept public comment and
make recommendations concerning the adequacy of the New York City
Department of Parks and Recreation's policies for tree maintenance and
the status and safety of trees within the city of New York.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed 18 months after such date or on the date the report is
submitted, whichever shall be later; provided that the task force on
tree maintenance and safety in the city of New York shall notify the
legislative bill drafting commission upon the submission of such
report in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and
timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the
state of New York in furtherance of the effectuating the provisions of
section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public
officers law.