NY State Senate Bill 2019-S3823

Senate Bill S3823

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Directs the department of state to study, evaluate and make recommendations concerning safety standards at baseball stadiums

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection 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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to consumer protection
Jun 20, 2019	committed to rules
May 29, 2019	advanced to third reading
May 22, 2019	2nd report cal.
May 21, 2019	1st report cal.871
Feb 15, 2019	referred to consumer protection

Votes

- May 21, 2019 - Consumer Protection Committee Vote
  S3823
  
  5
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Consumer Protection Committee Vote: May 21, 2019
      
      aye (5)
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Myrie
      
      Ramos
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Comrie
      
      Jacobs

2019-S3823 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A362
Current Committee:: Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:: General Business
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7690, A8893
2021-2022: A119
2023-2024: A300

2019-S3823 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of state to study, evaluate and make recommendations concerning safety standards at baseball stadiums to determine whether the protective netting currently in use at baseball stadiums is sufficient to protect spectators during baseball games.

2019-S3823 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3823

SPONSOR: SAVINO
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to direct the department of state to study,
evaluate, and make recommendations concerning safety standards at base-
ball stadiums

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this legislation is to gather information, based on a
Department of State report, in order to determine if further steps need
to be taken to protect spectators at baseball games from batted balls or
thrown bats.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill defines a baseball stadium as used in this
section.

Section 2 authorizes the Department of State to conduct a study of the
protective netting currently in use at baseball stadiums in the state to

determine whether current netting is sufficient enough to protect spec-
tators. This section also outlines what specifically this study is
intended to examine and discover.

Section 3 grants the Department of State the authority to consult with
any state or local office, agency, or department in order to request any
relevant information needed for completion of this study.

Section 4 requires the Department of State to deliver a report of the
findings of the study to the governor, the temporary president of the
senate, and the speaker of the assembly, no later than one year after
the effeCtive date.

Section 5 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According to a 2014 Bloomberg News report, approximately 1,750 Major
League Baseball (MLB) fans are hurt by foul balls each season - roughly
one person every two to three games. In addition to the two MLB teams,
there are six minor league teams in New York which play in stadiums with
over a 5,000-person capacity. While all MLB teams have voluntarily
committed to installing protective netting exceeding MLB guidelines,
which require netting to extend to the "near ends of both dugouts", some
minor league teams in New York State have not extended their netting.

In addition, it has yet to be demonstrated that the extended netting,
installed by the MLB teams is sufficient to properly protect fans from
foul halls and thrown bats.

According to a recent Marist College poll released October 24, 2017,
more than three in four baseball fans, 76%, do not think watching a
baseball game through protective netting detracts from the enjoyment of
the experience. Sixty-eight percent of respondents say the addition of
protective netting does not change how they feel about watching the
game, while 8% who think it makes the experience more enjoyable. When
fans bring thsir .children to games, most responded that they would

select seats in a shielded area. 80% of fans say they would select seats
in an area with netting while 17% would not.

This legislation would enable the legislature to obtain important infor-
mation regarding injuries suffered at baseball stadiums by spectators
due to being struck by baseballs or thrown bats, in order to examine
whether further steps need to be taken in the future to protect the
spectators of baseball games.

It requires the Department of State to conduct a study to determine
whether current protective netting practices are sufficient in protect-
ing consumers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018 Session: New Bill - S7690 - referred to Consumers and reported to
Calendar

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be conducted within the funds of the Department

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S3823 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3823
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
 
 AN ACT to direct the department of state to study,  evaluate,  and  make
   recommendations concerning safety standards at baseball stadiums
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, "baseball stadi-
 um" means a place of public assembly with an occupancy  capacity  of  at
 least  five  thousand  persons,  in  which baseball games are played and
 seating or standing room is assigned by issuance of tickets purchased by
 spectators.
   § 2. Study. The department of state is hereby authorized and  directed
 to  conduct  a study of the protective netting currently in use at base-
 ball stadiums in the state to determine whether such netting  is  suffi-
 cient  to  protect  spectators during baseball games.   Such study shall
 examine, at a minimum, the following:
   (a) the reported incidence of injuries suffered in  baseball  stadiums
 in  the state by spectators as a result of being struck by a baseball or
 a thrown bat, the nature and severity of such injuries, and the  general
 location where such injuries were suffered by such spectators within the
 baseball stadiums;
   (b)  the  policies  of the owners or operators of baseball stadiums in
 the state regarding the reporting of injuries, and whether or  not  such
 policies adequately disclose the rate of injuries suffered by spectators
 in such stadiums;
   (c)  whether  baseball  stadiums in the state are maintaining adequate
 protective netting to ensure the safety of spectators; and
   (d) any other steps that may be taken to increase safety  for  specta-
 tors  at  baseball games in the state, including, but not limited to the
 posting of notices on tickets, seats, or other locations within a  base-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01750-01-9

 S. 3823                             2
 
 ball stadium warning spectators of the possibility of injury as a result
 of being struck by a baseball or thrown bat.
   §  3.  Powers.  The  department of state may consult with any state or
 local office, agency, or department and  request  information  from  any
 such  entity  that  is  relevant  and material to the completion of this
 study and report.
   § 4. Report. No later than one year after the effective date  of  this
 act,  the  department of state shall deliver a report of the findings of
 the study conducted pursuant to section two of this act to the governor,
 the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

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