Requires a minimum operator age for amusement devices

• Democratic1
• Republican1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

Amusement parks play an integral role as significant drivers of tourism in every corner of New York State. Both large and small parks draw visi- tors from across state lines, and are in many instances a historical mainstay of that community. Almost all businesses in the tourism and hospitality industries have struggled with labor shortages in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Amusement parks have the additional challenge of being limited to only hiring adults, for the operation of certain amusement park devices. The "peak" season for these parks goes well into the fall, long after college age employees return to school. Because of this, New York State's amusement parks are often times forced to limit their days/hours of operation, due to the lack of staff available to operate rides. New Jersey passed legislation lowering the age, which puts New York's amusement parks at a significant compet- itive disadvantage. Last year, Governor Hochul signed legislation reduc- ing the minimum age to become a lifeguard from 16 to 15, in response to the shortage of eligible employees. This legislation would create a similar solution, and provide amusement parks with the ability to hire sixteen year olds to operate all amusement de vices. Current law only allows for sixteen year olds to operate rides that are meant for small children who are accompanied by an adult, and requires all other rides to be operated by those over the age of 18. This law is outdated, particularly since almost all amusement devices are controlled by systems that have safety features built in. Lowering the age to operate amusement devices to 16 would open up the pool of eligible employees for these parks, thereby benefiting the community and the overall economic health of the region.

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.