S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  325--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes  --  recommitted  to
   the  Committee  on  Codes  in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 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:
 
   Section  1.  This  act  shall  be  known  and may be cited as the "gun
 violence prevention act".
   § 2. Legislative intent. Gunshot injuries are a major cause  of  death
 for children and adolescents in the United States, accounting for twelve
 percent  of  all  premature  deaths. Further, for every young person who
 dies as the result of  a  gunshot  injury,  five  others  are  seriously
 injured  by  a  gunshot.  Concentrated  efforts in the areas of drug and
 alcohol abuse prevention have demonstrated that preventive education can
 reduce risks for youth. But although  there  are  many  drug  prevention
 programs, there are few gun violence prevention programs in existence.
   The intent of the legislature in enacting the "gun violence prevention
 act"  is  to implement a gun violence prevention program for school-aged
 youth and  their  families  to  help  young  people  to  develop  victim
 prevention  skills  and to rehearse behaviors needed to manage problems,
 such as conflict and peer pressure,  non-violently,  without  guns.  The
 program  would  not  oppose  gun ownership or the well-supervised use of
 guns for hunting or sport.
   § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  3204-a  to
 read as follows:
   §  3204-A.  GUN  VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.  1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN
 CONSULTATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE  DIVI-

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00041-02-7

 S. 325--A                           2
 
 SION  OF  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE  SERVICES,  THE  DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
 CONSERVATION AND ANY OTHER EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, IS AUTHORIZED  AND
 DIRECTED  TO  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS A GUN
 VIOLENCE  PREVENTION  PROGRAM.    THE  PROGRAM  SHALL INCLUDE: PRACTICAL
 SKILLS WHICH STUDENTS CAN USE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM;  OPPORTUNITIES  FOR
 SELF-REFLECTION   AND  ROLE-PLAY  OF  STUDENTS'  COPING  MECHANISMS  AND
 EMOTIONS; STUDENT-SET GOALS FOR CHANGE; THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  COMPETENCY
 AND  LEADERSHIP  SKILLS  TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH PEERS AND THE COMMUNITY;
 AND PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT IN THE PROGRAM.
   2. EVERY SCHOOL MAY  INSTRUCT  STUDENTS  IN  PRE-KINDERGARTEN  THROUGH
 TWELFTH  GRADE  WITH  RESPECT TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION USING MATERIALS
 PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR SUCH PURPOSE.  EACH  SCHOOL  ELECTING  TO
 PROVIDE  SUCH INSTRUCTION MAY REQUEST INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THEREFOR
 FROM THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   3. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE A  REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE
 LEGISLATURE  ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY, ASSESSING THE
 RESULTS OF THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO
 THE  PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE FINDINGS AS TO
 THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON REDUCING GUNSHOT  INJURIES  AMONG  CHILDREN  AND
 ADOLESCENTS  AND  SHALL  OFFER  RECOMMENDATIONS  AS  TO  WHETHER THE GUN
 VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED, MODIFIED OR  ELIMINATED,
 AND  WHETHER  OR  NOT  OTHER  GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS SHOULD BE
 AUTHORIZED.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.