Bill Text: NY A00618 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires single-purpose day camps to ascertain whether an employee or volunteer is listed on the state sex offender registry pursuant to article six-C of the correction law; defines "single-purpose day camp".
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to health [A00618 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A00618-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 618 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. M. G. MILLER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law and the social services law, in relation to requiring single-purpose day camps to ascertain whether an employee or volunteer is listed on the state sex offender registry pursuant to article six-C of the correction law The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The article heading of article 13-B of the public health 2 law, as added by chapter 515 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 REGULATION OF OVERNIGHT, SINGLE-PURPOSE DAY, SUMMER 5 DAY, AND TRAVELING SUMMER DAY CAMPS FOR CHILDREN 6 § 2. Section 1392 of the public health law is amended by adding a new 7 subdivision 3-a to read as follows: 8 3-a. "Single-purpose day camp" shall mean a property consisting of a 9 tract of land and any tents, vehicles, buildings or other structures 10 that may be pertinent to its use, any part of which may be occupied on a 11 scheduled basis at any time between June first and September fifteenth 12 in any year by children under sixteen years of age under general super- 13 vision, for the purpose of a single indoor or outdoor organized group 14 activity, involving a nonpassive recreational activity with significant 15 risk of injury, as such activities are defined by the department in 16 rules and regulations, for a period of less than twenty-four hours on 17 any day the property is so occupied, and on which no provisions are made 18 for overnight occupancy by such children. The commissioner shall have 19 the power to except by rule from this article and the sanitary code a 20 place, facility or activity that is not within the intent of this defi- 21 nition. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03061-01-7A. 618 2 1 § 3. Section 1393 of the public health law, as added by chapter 515 of 2 the laws of 2000 and subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 439 of the laws 3 of 2009, is amended to read as follows: 4 § 1393. Permit requirements. 1. No person, firm, corporation, or asso- 5 ciation shall operate a children's overnight, single-purpose day, summer 6 day, or traveling summer day camp without first obtaining a permit from 7 an officer. 8 2. An officer shall issue a permit if, after inspection, the chil- 9 dren's overnight, single-purpose day, summer day, or traveling summer 10 day camp is in compliance with this chapter and the sanitary code. All 11 permits shall expire one year from the date of issuance of such permit 12 or upon such earlier date as specified by such officer which date shall 13 in no event be earlier than the latest date that such camps may remain 14 open pursuant to regulations prescribed by the commissioner. Nothing in 15 this section shall be construed to limit the responsibilities and duties 16 of compliance arising out of any other provision of law. 17 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an officer in issuing a 18 permit may waive any requirement of the sanitary code setting a minimum 19 standard of floor space per camper in a camp's sleeping quarters. Such a 20 waiver may be granted upon written application therefor, and shall be 21 accompanied by a statement by the officer of the specific terms and 22 conditions under which the waiver shall have been granted. Such waivers 23 may be granted only to camps constructed prior to January first, nine- 24 teen hundred seventy-five. An officer shall grant such waiver where the 25 application therefor is accompanied by a written certification by the 26 local health officer of its need or desirability to avoid an immediate 27 undue hardship upon the operator which may result in the closing of the 28 children's overnight camp to prospective campers, and a statement by the 29 local health officer that the granting of a waiver shall not present a 30 hazard to public health and safety. All such waivers shall expire on 31 December thirty-first of the year in which they are granted, but may be 32 renewed for good and sufficient reason. 33 4. The fee for a permit shall be two hundred dollars, except that no 34 fee shall be charged in the case of a children's overnight, single-pur- 35 pose day, summer day or traveling summer day camp operated by a person, 36 firm, corporation or association for charitable, philanthropic or reli- 37 gious purposes. 38 5. Any enrollment application forms and/or enrollment contract forms 39 mailed or delivered to a person for purposes of enrollment of a child 40 for any children's overnight, single-purpose day, summer day, or travel- 41 ing summer day camp shall contain or be accompanied by a written state- 42 ment which declares: 43 (a) that such camp is required to be licensed by the New York state 44 department of health; 45 (b) that such camp is required to be inspected twice yearly; and 46 (c) the address where inspection reports concerning such camp are 47 filed. 48 § 4. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 1394-c 49 to read as follows: 50 § 1394-c. Requirement to check sex offender registry. Every person, 51 firm, limited liability company, association and corporation which oper- 52 ates a single-purpose day camp shall be required to ascertain whether an 53 employee or volunteer is listed on the state sex offender registry 54 pursuant to article six-C of the correction law prior to the day such 55 employee or volunteer commences work at such camp and annually thereaft- 56 er prior to their arrival at such camp.A. 618 3 1 § 5. Subdivision 1 of section 424-a of the social services law is 2 amended by adding a new paragraph (d-2) to read as follows: 3 (d-2) every person, firm, limited liability company, association and 4 operation which operates a camp that falls under the provisions of arti- 5 cle thirteen-B of the public health law for every employee or volunteer, 6 prior to the employment start date, shall inquire of the office of chil- 7 dren and family services, and the office shall, upon receipt of such 8 inquiry and subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) or (e) of subdi- 9 vision one of this section, inform such and the subject of the inquiry 10 whether any person who is actively being considered for employment and 11 who will have the potential for regular and substantial contact with 12 children is the subject of an indicated child abuse and maltreatment 13 report on file with the statewide central register of child abuse and 14 maltreatment. 15 § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 16 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 17 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 18 tation of this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to 19 be made and completed on or before such date.
