What's happening
This bill changes the quorum requirement for the State Camp Safety Advisory Council to a majority of its appointed voting members.
Why it matters
Ensures the council can conduct business as long as most appointed voting members are present. , potentially avoiding gridlock if some seats are vacant or if members are absent, which is common in advisory bodies.
May lead to more consistent and timely decision-making. on youth camp safety regulations and recommendations, since achieving a quorum could become easier, allowing meetings to proceed as scheduled.
Shifts the focus from total membership to those actually appointed and eligible to vote. , reducing the risk of administrative delays caused by unfilled positions or inactive members, and making the council more adaptable to changes in its composition.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Clarify Camp Safety Quorum Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.330
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.191
- Substituted for A7723
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 50–12
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.763
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to health
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.
Update Camp Safety Quorum Rules
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Richard Gottfried
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5568
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to a quorum of the state camp safety advisory council
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1390 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 337 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1390. Establishment of state camp safety advisory council. The commissioner of health shall establish within the state department of health a state camp safety advisory council to advise and consult on policy matters relating to youth camp safety. The council shall consist of nine members to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Three members of the council shall be representatives of youth camps operated in New York for profit, three members of the council shall be representatives of youth camps operated in New York under philanthropic non-profit or charitable auspices, one member of the council shall be a representative of youth camp consumer interests, one shall be a representative of children's interests who does not operate a children's camp and one shall be a representative of summer day camps and traveling summer day camps operated by municipal corporations and other entities subject to article thirteen-D of this chapter. The council shall elect from among its members a chairman. On or before January first, nineteen hundred seventy-four, the governor shall appoint two youth camp representative members for a term of two years, two youth camp representative members for a term of four years and two youth camp representative members for a term of six years. Biennially thereafter the youth camp representative members shall be appointed to said council in like manner to succeed those whose terms expire, to serve for terms of six years each and until their successors are appointed. The member representative of youth camp consumer interests shall also serve for a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11539-01-9
S. 5568 2
term of six years and until a successor is appointed. On or before January first, nineteen hundred eighty-one, the governor shall appoint the representative of children's interests for a term of four years and the representative of summer day camps and traveling summer day camps operated by municipal corporations and other entities subject to article thirteen-D of this chapter for a term of two years. Thereafter, each succeeding representative of children's interests and each succeeding representative of said summer day camps and traveling summer day camps shall serve terms of six years each and until their successors are appointed. Vacancies shall be filled by the governor for the unexpired portion of the term. Said council shall meet at least twice a year, and more often if necessary, on the call of the chairman or on the call of the commissioner of health. The members of the council shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable traveling and other expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. A majority of the appointed voting membership of the council shall constitute a quorum.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to a quorum of the state camp safety advisory council
Purpose
To provide that a majority of the appointed voting membership shall constitute a quorum for the state camp safety advisory council.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends section 1390 of the public health law to provide that a majority of the state camp safety advisory council's appointed voting membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section two provides an effective date.
Justification
The State Camp Safety Advisory Council has struggled to achieve a quorum due to a lack of appointees, which has obstructed the Council's ability to provide the guidance it was formed to produce. Similar issues have arisen with other bodies and, as a result, amendments to the functioning of the Transplant Council and the Early Intervention Coordinating. Coun- cil were enacted in the last few years and have proven helpful.
The General Construction Law Section 41 provides that, unless provided otherwise, a government body's quorum shall be a majority of "the total number which the...body...would have were there no vacancies and were none of the persons or officers disqualified from acting." Pursuant to General Construction Law Section 110, this bill would exclude vacant seats and nonvoting members from the total number from which a majority is calculated.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.