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S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9301
I N S E N A T E
February 26, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
Parks and Recreation
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to establishing the New York state park police
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Section 13.17 of the parks, recreation and historic preser-
2 vation law, as amended by chapter 662 of the laws of 1972, is amended to
3 read as follows:
4 § 13.17 Regional state park police AND NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE. 1.
5 All members of any police force of a regional state park commission, as
6 heretofore constituted, shall, unless transferred by or pursuant to any
7 other provision of law, continue to be members of the park police force
8 of their respective regions, in the office.
9 2. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PRIOR MEMORANDUM, THERE SHALL CONTINUE TO BE A
10 LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION KNOWN AS THE NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE. THE
11 NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE SHALL FUNCTION AS AN INDEPENDENT LAW ENFORCE-
12 MENT AGENCY SOLELY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COMMISSIONER, AND SHALL
13 NOT BE UNDER THE OPERATIONAL DIRECTION OF THE DIVISION OF THE NEW YORK
14 STATE POLICE. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT THE NEW YORK STATE
15 PARK POLICE FROM COORDINATING, INCLUDING BY AGREEMENTS OR MEMORANDA OF
16 UNDERSTANDING, WITH THE DIVISION OF NEW YORK STATE POLICE OR OTHER LAW
17 ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITH RESPECT TO TRAINING, STRATEGIC PREPAREDNESS,
18 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, MASS GATHERINGS, OR OTHER MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN,
19 PROVIDED THAT SUCH COORDINATION SHALL NOT RESTRICT OR TRANSFER THE INDE-
20 PENDENT OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY OF THE NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE.
21 3. Any member who shall complete twenty-five years of total service as
22 a member of the New York regional state park police on or after April
23 first, nineteen hundred sixty-six but who has not attained sixty-two
24 years of age at the time of completion of such period of service, shall
25 be separated from such service upon attaining such age.
26 [3] 4. Any member who shall attain sixty-two years of age on or after
27 April first, nineteen hundred sixty-six, but who has not completed twen-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14932-01-6
S. 9301 2
1 ty-five years of such total service at the time of attaining such age,
2 shall be separated from such service upon completing such period of
3 service.
4 [4] 5. Any member appointed on or after April first, nineteen hundred
5 sixty-five shall be separated from such service upon attaining sixty-two
6 years of age.
7 [5] 6. The provisions of subdivisions [two,] three [and], four AND
8 FIVE of this section shall not apply to the commanding officer or chief
9 of any police force of a park region, nor to any member who has not
10 elected and is not required to contribute in accordance with sections
11 three hundred eighty-three or three hundred eighty-three-a of the
12 retirement and social security law.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.