Establishes the office of gun violence prevention and the gun violence advisory council

• Democratic29

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Zellnor Myrie says this is needed

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.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.