BILL NUMBER: S9905
SPONSOR: MYRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the
office of gun violence prevention and the gun violence advisory council
 
PURPOSE:
To transfer the operations and services of the Office of Gun Violence
Prevention to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services,
furthering improving its efficiency in lowering the prevalence of gun
violence in this state.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the executive law by adding section 837-y which estab-
lishes the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) and the Gun Violence
Advisory Council.
Subdivision 1 provides definitions for the following terms: "Advisory
council", "Director", "Gun Violence", and "Office".
Subdivision 2 establishes the OGVP within the Department of Criminal
Justice Services, specifies its titular focuses and goals, and explains
its hierarchical structure under the director's direction.
Subdivision 3 requires that within 180 days of its creation, the Commis-
sioner must call on the Gun Advisory Council to report and share all
pertinent information acquired in its role to a set list of designees
through a meeting chaired by the Director.
Section 2 provides for the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In response to the significant rise in gun-related incidents and hospi-
talizations, New York State issued Executive Order 211 in July 2021,
declaring a Disaster Emergency concerning gun violence. This executive
order emphasized community engagement as a central component
of proposed solutions to combat gun violence. Governor Hochul continued
this commitment in 2022 with a comprehensive Three-Part Agenda aimed at
preventing and reducing gun violence and violent crime across the state.
This agenda
included a pledge to increase investment in community-based violence
prevention efforts significantly.
As part of this action plan, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention
(OGVP) was established to coordinate state-wide efforts in combating
gun violence. The OGVP, currently situated within the New York State
Department of Health (NYSDOH), was tasked with consolidating fragmented
violence prevention strategies and fostering collaboration among commu-
nity partners, local municipalities, and state agencies.
However, given the evolving nature and complexities of gun violence and
its intersection with criminal justice, it is prudent to relocate
the OGVP to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice. This tran-
sition would enable the OGVP to benefit from the Division' s extensive
expertise in law enforcement and criminal justice, thereby enhancing the
effectiveness of its strategies and initiatives. The Division's focus
on crime prevention and justice system coordination aligns with the
goals of the OGVP, potentially leading to more integrated and impactful
responses to gun violence with a focus on community engagement for
better traction and transparency.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be Determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/ or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.