NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2084
SPONSOR: Chandler-Waterman 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 New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) and
the Gun Violence Advisory Council.
Subdivision 1 defines the following terms: "Advisory council", "Direc-
tor", "Gun violence", and "Office".
Subdivision 2 establishes the OGVP within t4 Department of Criminal
Justice Services along with explaining Its multiple core functions.
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 commit-
ment in 2022 with a comprehensive Three-Part Agenda aimed at preventing
and reducing gun violence and violent crime across the state. This agen-
da 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 Depart-
ment 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 transition
would enable the OGVP to benefit from the Division's extensive expertise
in law enforcement and criminal justice, thereby enhancing the effec-
tiveness 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:
S9905 of 2023-24: Referred to Rules.
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.
