What's happening
This bill authorizes New York’s forest ranger force to create a training and credentialing program for volunteer wild land search and rescue personnel.
Why it matters
Improves safety and effectiveness. By creating a formal training and credentialing program for volunteer wild land search and rescue personnel, the bill helps ensure that volunteers are better prepared and coordinated, which can lead to more efficient and safer search and rescue operations.
Boosts resource capacity. Authorizing the forest ranger force to train and credential volunteers allows New York to expand its response capabilities, especially during high-demand incidents when professional resources may be stretched thin.
Increases community involvement and trust. The program empowers local residents and outdoor enthusiasts to participate in official search and rescue efforts, fostering stronger community partnerships and potentially faster responses when people go missing in remote areas.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Train Volunteer Rescue Teams
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
19 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
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.
Train Volunteer Rescue Teams
In Senate Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor Betty Little
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1567
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. JONES, GOTTFRIED, D'URSO, BLAKE, SANTABARBARA, MOSLEY, RIVERA, MONTESANO, PALMESANO, LAWRENCE, B. MILLER, CAHILL, CROUCH, LAVINE, COOK, BYRNE, ARROYO, GOODELL, MORINELLO, FAHY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to authorizing the forest ranger force to establish a training program for volunteer wild land search and rescue personnel
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 18 of section 9-0105 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 617 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
18. a. Establish, operate and maintain a search and rescue program in fire towns and fire districts of the state. For the purposes of this section fire towns shall mean such towns provided for in section 9-1107 of this chapter and fire districts shall be deemed to be the fire protection areas provided for in section 9-1109 of this chapter and regulations promulgated pursuant to the authority of such sections. Pursuant to such program the forest ranger force of the department shall have the authority to organize, direct and execute search operations for lost persons or civilian aircraft and conduct rescue operations for persons injured or in serious danger of injury in the wild, remote and forested areas of fire towns and fire districts of the state; provided that, where criminal conduct is suspected or fugitive search is involved such search or rescue operations shall be conducted under the jurisdiction of the appropriate law enforcement agency. Search and rescue operations outside of fire towns and fire districts may be conducted by the forest ranger force upon request of the agency conducting such operation.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03143-01-9
A. 1567 2
b. Pursuant to such program, the forest ranger force of the department shall have the authority to establish, direct and maintain a program for the purpose of training and credentialing volunteer, wild land search and rescue personnel to assist and respond along with the forest ranger force to search for lost and missing persons in the wild, remote and forested areas of the state.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.