Bill Text: NY A06696 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation to cooperate with municipalities in establishing adopt-a-park programs; municipalities may enter into agreements with volunteer groups for provision of services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-11 - print number 6696b [A06696 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A06696-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6696--B
                               2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     March 30, 2015
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to  said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Consumer Affairs
          and Protection in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee
        AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law  and
          the  general municipal law, in relation to authorizing an adopt-a-park
          program
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. Subdivision 4 of section 3.09 of the parks, recreation and
     2  historic preservation law is amended to read as follows:
     3    4. Cooperate in the planning, organization, development and  operation
     4  of  municipal  and  private park, recreational and historic preservation
     5  projects and programs.  The commissioner may provide  technical  assist-
     6  ance  to  municipalities for the planning, organization, development and
     7  operation of adopt-a-park programs undertaken pursuant  to  section  two
     8  hundred  seventy-seven  of  the general municipal law including, but not
     9  limited to, the development and distribution of an  informational  guide
    10  for participants in such programs.
    11    § 2. Section 277 of the general municipal law, as added by chapter 626
    12  of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as follows:
    13    §  277.  Adopt-a-municipal park, shoreline or roadway programs. 1. The
    14  governing body of any county, city, town or village is hereby authorized
    15  and empowered to authorize and direct such of its officers  or  agencies
    16  as  it  shall designate to enter into adopt-a-park, shoreline or roadway
    17  program agreements with volunteers or groups in an effort to reduce  and
    18  remove  litter  from parks, shorelines, roadways and other public lands.
    19  Such agreements shall include but not be limited to:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06346-07-6
        A. 6696--B                          2
     1    a. providing and coordinating services  by  volunteers  or  groups  to
     2  reduce the amount of litter including providing trash bags and trash bag
     3  pick up and in designated areas where volunteers may be in close proxim-
     4  ity  to moving vehicles providing safety briefings and reflective safety
     5  gear; and
     6    b.  providing  and  installing  signs  identifying those volunteers or
     7  groups adopting particular parks, shorelines, roadways or other sections
     8  of public land.
     9    2. With respect to adopt-a-park programs, a program agreement may also
    10  be entered into for the provision of services by volunteers or groups to
    11  preserve, maintain and enhance municipally-owned  parks.  Such  programs
    12  may  include,  but are not limited to, remediating vandalism, preserving
    13  wetlands, cleaning and maintaining park property, establishing and main-
    14  taining access to nature trails, establishing and maintaining dog  runs,
    15  planting  and  maintaining flower beds or other vegetation, or otherwise
    16  improving and maintaining the natural beauty of such parks.
    17    3. Notwithstanding any inconsistent  provision  of  law,  the  county,
    18  city,  town or village and its employees shall not be liable for damages
    19  suffered by any persons resulting from the reasonable actions or  activ-
    20  ities  of  such volunteers or groups provided such actions or activities
    21  were performed in good faith.
    22    4. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule  or  regulation  to  the
    23  contrary,  no  adopt-a-park  program shall result in the displacement of
    24  any currently employed worker or the loss  of  position,  including  the
    25  partial  displacement  such  as  reduction in the hours of non-overtime,
    26  wages, or employment benefits, or result in the impairment  of  existing
    27  collective bargaining agreements.
    28    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    29  it shall have become a law.