What's happening
This bill requires a minimum number of full-time state park police officers and staffing plans for new state facilities in New York.
Why it matters
Mandates a baseline of 385 full-time, permanently appointed state park police officers,. which could increase public safety, professionalization, and law enforcement presence at state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites, and concert venues across New York.
Requires police deployment to match regional park visitation rates,. meaning more heavily trafficked areas would receive a proportionate share of police resources, potentially making staff allocation more responsive to actual public use and need.
Prevents new state parks and related facilities from opening without a legislative-reviewed staffing plan,. ensuring that expansion of the park system is tied to adequate public safety measures and potentially slowing or shaping future growth to prioritize visitor security.
Allows for emergency redeployment of park police across regions,. providing flexibility in crisis response (such as natural disasters or mass casualty incidents) but otherwise strengthening the expectation of consistent regional staffing.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Park Police Staffing
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 59
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Set Minimum Park Police
In Assembly Committee · Tourism, Parks, Arts And Sports Development · Sponsor Philip Ramos
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1383
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sens. GALLIVAN, FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to police staffing at certain parks
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3.07 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by adding three new subdivisions 3, 4 and 5 to read as follows:
3. The commissioner shall provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public using facilities under its jurisdiction, which shall include ensuring a minimum staff of three hundred eighty-five permanently appointed, full time regional state park police officers at state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites and concert venues. The number of regional state park police officers deployed to each region shall be equivalent to the percentage of each region's five year attendance average.
4. The commissioner shall not open a new state park, beach, campground, historic site or concert venue unless it submits a staffing plan to the legislature that demonstrates there is a sufficient number of regional state park police to provide adequate and appropriate delivery of police services to patrons visiting the new site.
5. The commissioner may redeploy regional state park police officers outside of their assigned region in the case of an emergency. Emergencies are defined as natural disasters, declared emergencies and mass casualty incidents.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00285-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to police staffing at certain parks
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public using the facilities under its jurisdiction by ensuring adequate state park police officers at such facilities.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Calls for a minimum staff of 385 permanent appointed, full time regional state park police officers at state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites and concert venues. Calls for the commissioner to submit a staffing plan to the legislature prior to opening any new state park facilities, and allows for the commissioner to redeploy regional state park police officers outside their region in case of an emergency.
Section 2. Provides that this act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Justification
This bill would ensure the more than 62 million visitors to New York State's parks, beaches, and historic sites are kept safe for the general public by ensuring a minimum of 385 State Park Police officers are employed by the state.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.5882/A.8020 Reported to Finance/Referred to Tourism
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.