Establishes an "operation SNUG" program within the division of criminal justice services which provides grant awards to reduce, prevent or respond to gun violence.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7302
SPONSOR: Jackson
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing an opera-
tion SNUG program which provides grant awards to reduce, prevent or
respond to gun violence
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The Operation SNUG program will provide programs and services including
but not limited to, educational, youth justice, gang prevention, social
work and street outreach that aim to reduce, prevent or respond to gun
violence.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. The bill amends the executive law by adding a new section 837
which codifies the Operation SNUG program.
Section 2. Effective Date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
NYS SNUG program is an evidence-based violence reduction initiative that
was first established in NYS in 2009. The program seeks to engage high-
risk individuals who are causing violence in communities with high rates
of violent crime, address the issues that may be causing high-risk indi-
viduals to engage in gun violence, and share with the community how
violence is spread. SNUG seeks to modify an existing norm of community
acceptance of violent behavior from its citizens by engaging community
residents, businesses, and community-based organizations to implement
coordinated strategies to reduce and prevent shootings and killings. The
program employs and relies on Street Outreach Workers who live in the
communities in which they serve, to act and be viewed as credible
messengers by persons at high risk of offending.
The Division of Criminal Justice currently administers SNUG sites in the
following counties (and cities): Albany, Bronx, Dutchess (Poughkeepsie),
Erie (Buffalo), Monroe (Rochester), Nassau (Hempstead), Onondaga (Syra-
cuse), Orange (Newburgh), Rensselaer (Troy), Suffolk (Wyandanch), and
Westchester (Yonkers and Mt. Vernon).
This bill would codify the existing program to ensure adequate funding
is available in the State Budget to address gun violence, increase fund-
ing for existing sites and provide additional funding to expand SNUG
programs to additional counties throughout the State.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S8287 - Passed Senate
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
This bill would provide $30 million annually to support Operation SNUG
grants to local governments and/or community-based organizations. The
Enacted Budget for SFY 2022 provides $5 million to support SNUG
programs, the Executive Budget for SFY 2023 provides $21 million to
support operation SNUG programs.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7302
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing an opera-
tion SNUG program which provides grant awards to reduce, prevent or
respond to gun violence
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-x
2 to read as follows:
3 § 837-x. Operation SNUG program. 1. There is hereby established within
4 the division an operation SNUG program. The operation SNUG program shall
5 provide grant awards to local governments and/or community-based organ-
6 izations who provide programs and services including but not limited to,
7 educational, youth justice, gang prevention, social work and street
8 outreach that aim to reduce, prevent or respond to gun violence. The
9 governor shall include an annual appropriation of at least thirty
10 million dollars in the executive budget for the division to support
11 operation SNUG program grants in accordance with this section.
12 2. There shall be no less than five million dollars annually made
13 available from any appropriation made in accordance with subdivision one
14 of this section to support operation SNUG program awards designated by
15 the senate. Notwithstanding section twenty-four of the state finance
16 law or any provision of law to the contrary, funds made available to the
17 senate in accordance with this section shall be allocated only pursuant
18 to a plan: (a) approved by the temporary president of the senate and
19 the director of the budget which sets forth either an itemized list of
20 grantees with the amount to be received by each, or the methodology for
21 allocating such appropriation; and (b) which is thereafter included in a
22 senate resolution calling for the expenditure of such funds, which
23 resolution must be approved by a majority vote of all members elected
24 to the senate upon a roll call vote.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05679-03-3
A. 7302 2
1 3. There shall be no less than five million dollars annually made
2 available from any appropriation made in accordance with subdivision one
3 of this section to support operation SNUG program awards designated by
4 the assembly. Notwithstanding section twenty-four of the state finance
5 law or any provision of law to the contrary, funds made available to the
6 assembly in accordance with this section shall be allocated only pursu-
7 ant to a plan: (a) approved by the speaker of the assembly and the
8 director of the budget which sets forth either an itemized list of gran-
9 tees with the amount to be received by each, or the methodology for
10 allocating such appropriation; and (b) which is thereafter included in
11 an assembly resolution calling for the expenditure of such funds, which
12 resolution must be approved by a majority vote of all members elected to
13 the assembly upon a roll call vote.
14 4. Pursuant to a plan prepared by the commissioner and approved by the
15 director of the budget, no less than twenty million dollars annually
16 shall be made available and awarded to grantees providing services in
17 counties throughout the state; provided, however, that such plan shall
18 provide an annual award in a dollar amount no less than that provided in
19 the following sub-schedule:
20 Sub-schedule
21 Albany County .................... 1,000,000
22 Dutchess County .................... 400,000
23 Erie County ...................... 1,250,000
24 Monroe County ...................... 800,000
25 Nassau County ...................... 500,000
26 Niagara County ..................... 250,000
27 Oneida County ...................... 250,000
28 Onondaga County .................... 750,000
29 Orange County ...................... 250,000
30 Rensselaer County .................. 500,000
31 Rockland County .................... 250,000
32 Schenectady County ................. 250,000
33 Suffolk County ..................... 500,000
34 Ulster County ...................... 250,000
35 Westchester County ............... 1,500,000
36 New York City (Bronx County) ..... 1,500,000
37 New York City (Kings County) ..... 1,500,000
38 New York City (New York County) .. 1,300,000
39 New York City (Queens County) .... 1,500,000
40 New York City (Richmond County) .... 500,000
41 --------------
42 Total of sub-schedule ......... 15,000,000
43 The commissioner may use at least five million dollars annually to
44 increase funding provided to counties listed in the sub-schedule or
45 expand operation SNUG programs and services to additional counties
46 throughout the state.
47 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
48 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
49 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
50 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
51 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.