S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    300
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. PAULIN, LAVINE, D. ROSENTHAL, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON,
   McDONOUGH, JACOBSON -- read once and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
   Consumer Affairs and 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.
                                                            LBD02071-01-3
              

 A. 300                              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.