S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4484
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 16, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BENEDETTO  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Local Governments
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal  law,  in  relation  to  municipal
   shooting  ranges;  and directing the department of health to conduct a
   study describing the contaminants and other pollutants in  the  ground
   and water bodies adjacent to certain shooting ranges
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general municipal  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 97-a to read as follows:
   §  97-A.  MUNICIPAL SHOOTING RANGES.   1. ALL SHOOTING RANGES OWNED OR
 USED BY A MUNICIPALITY, INCLUDING SHOOTING RANGES USED BY  LAW  ENFORCE-
 MENT  FOR  TRAINING  PURPOSES,  SHALL ONLY BE IN OPERATION BETWEEN EIGHT
 A.M. AND EIGHT P.M.  AND ONLY OPERATE ONE WEEKEND PER MONTH.
   2. SUCH SHOOTING RANGES SHALL BE  FULLY  ENCLOSED  WITH  PROPER  SOUND
 ABATEMENT  AND  ANY  BOMBS  DETONATED  AT  SUCH  SHOOTING RANGE SHALL BE
 PERFORMED IN A FULLY ENCLOSED  AREA.    ANY  NOISE  OR  NOISE  POLLUTION
 RESULTING  FROM  THE ACTIVITY ON SUCH SHOOTING RANGE SHALL BE IN COMPLI-
 ANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE NOISE CONTROL LAWS OR ORDINANCES,  OR,  IF  THE
 APPLICABLE  NOISE  CONTROL  LAWS  OR  ORDINANCES HAVE NO LEGAL FORCE AND
 EFFECT AGAINST SUCH OWNER OR USER  OR  THERE  ARE  NO  APPLICABLE  NOISE
 CONTROL  LAWS  OR  ORDINANCES  AT THE TIME OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION, THEN THE A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL  OF  SMALL  ARMS  FIRE  ON  THE
 SHOOTING  RANGE  SHALL NOT EXCEED 90 DB(A) FOR ONE HOUR OUT OF A DAY, OR
 SHALL NOT EXCEED 80 DB(A) FOR EIGHT HOURS OUT OF A DAY MEASURED  AT,  OR
 ADJUSTED  TO,  A  DISTANCE OF ONE HUNDRED FEET OUTSIDE THE REAL PROPERTY
 BOUNDARY OF THE SHOOTING RANGE.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "SHOOTING RANGE" SHALL MEAN A RANGE EQUIPPED WITH TARGETS FOR  USE
 WITH  FIREARMS  AND  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT BE LIMITED TO, ALL RIFLE,
 PISTOL AND SHOTGUN RANGES AND RANGES USED FOR TRAINING LAW  ENFORCEMENT,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07975-01-3
              

 A. 4484                             2
 
 INCLUDING  RANGES  USED  FOR AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND THE
 DETONATION OF BOMBS.
   (B) "A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL" SHALL MEAN THE SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL MEAS-
 URED  BY  THE USE OF AN INSTRUMENT WITH THE METERING CHARACTERISTICS AND
 A-WEIGHTING FREQUENCY RESPONSE PRESCRIBED BY SOUND  LEVEL  METERS  USING
 THE IMPULSE RESPONSE MODE.
   (C)  "SOUND  PRESSURE  LEVEL" SHALL MEAN TWENTY TIMES THE LOGARITHM TO
 THE BASE TEN OF THE RATIO OF THE ROOT MEAN SQUARED PRESSURE OF  A  SOUND
 TO A REFERENCE PRESSURE OF TWENTY MICROPASCALS. THE UNIT APPLIED TO THIS
 MEASURE SHALL BE THE DECIBEL (DB).
   (D)  "SMALL  ARMS"  SHALL  MEAN  PROJECTILE FIREARMS OF SMALL CALIBER,
 INCLUDING RIFLES, PISTOLS AND SHOTGUNS.
   § 2. The department of health, with the assistance of  the  department
 of  environmental  conservation,  shall  conduct  a study describing the
 contaminants and other pollutants in the ground and  water  bodies  that
 are  adjacent  to  each  shooting range owned or used by a municipality,
 including any shooting ranges  used  by  law  enforcement  for  training
 purposes. The department of health shall deliver a written report of its
 findings  to  the governor and the legislature one year after the effec-
 tive date of this act. The department shall also establish a remediation
 plan, if needed, and shall make such a plan  readily  available  on  the
 department's website.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.