NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A10428
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to the
prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs in public schools
 
PURPOSE:
This bill prohibits marksmanship programs in New York State public
schools.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 809-a of the education law.
Section two amends the education law to add a new section 809-b.
Section three sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Marksmanship programs in public schools were once popular, but a rise in
gun violence and school shootings in recent years has spurred a long-ov-
erdue reevaluation of their place in our students' curriculum. A number
of schools which still operate marksmanship programs do so through
grants from the National Rifle Association, including the Parkland, FL,
high school where a former student and marksmanship team member murdered
17 students and teachers in February 2018.
In 1990, Congress passed the Gun Free School Zones Act to prohibit the
possession of firearms on school grounds but left exemptions for police
officers and school security as well as students possessing firearms as
part of an approved school program. Research shows that an increase in
guns leads to an increase in gun injuries and deaths, whether inten-
tional or not. To create a true gun-free school zone we cannot allow
students to possess and discharge firearms on school property.
This bill would increase student safety by prohibiting public schools
from offering marksmanship programs or other programs that allow
students to possess and discharge firearms on school property.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10428
IN ASSEMBLY
April 20, 2018
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the prohibition of
marksmanship and/or shooting programs in public schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 809-a of the education law, as amended by chapter
2 442 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 809-a. Instruction in [the safe use of firearms] conservation and in
4 the game laws. The officer, board, or commission authorized or required
5 to prescribe courses of instructions in any school under state control,
6 may authorize instructions to be given in the [safe and proper use of
7 firearms allowed by law to be used in the taking of wild game, and may
8 also authorize instructions to be given in the] study of game laws and
9 of proper hunting and conservation practices, provided that firearms are
10 not used by students or discharged on school grounds. Such courses of
11 instruction shall be approved by both the education department and the
12 department of environmental conservation.
13 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 809-b to
14 read as follows:
15 § 809-b. Prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs. 1. No
16 public school shall offer marksmanship and/or shooting programs.
17 2. For purposes of this section, marksmanship and/or shooting programs
18 shall include any competitive and recreational sporting activities
19 involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in using
20 various types of ranged weapons, such as firearms and air guns, in forms
21 such as handguns, rifles and shotguns and/or bows or crossbows.
22 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15310-02-8