2023 New York Laws › EDN - Education › Title 1 - General Provisions › Article 8 - State University and State Financial Assistance for Higher Education › 355-E - New York State Firearm Violence Research Institute.

§  355-e.  New  York  state  firearm violence research institute.   1.
Institute  formation  and  goals.  Subject  to  amounts   available   by
appropriation,  the  New York state firearm violence research institute,
hereinafter  the  "institute",  is  hereby  created  within  the   state
university of New York. The purposes of the institute shall include:
(a)  advising the governor, governmental agencies, and the legislature
on matters relating to firearm violence in New York state;
(b) fostering, pursuing and sponsoring collaborative firearm  violence
research;
(c)  increasing understanding by establishing and reporting on what is
known and what is not known about firearm violence of the state;
(d) identifying priority  needs  for  firearm  violence  research  and
inventory work within New York that currently are not receiving adequate
attention,  and  identifying  public  or  private entities that are best
situated to address such needs, thereby leading to  better  coordination
of firearm violence research efforts in the state;
(e)  promoting  awareness  of  existing  and  new  sources  of firearm
violence  information  and  firearm  violence  while  educating  elected
officials,  governmental  agencies,  and  the  general public on firearm
violence issues through such means as it may determine;
(f) organizing and sponsoring meetings on firearm violence topics;
(g) encouraging the establishment of networks of collaborating experts
engaged in related aspects of firearm violence research;
(h) raising sensitivity to firearm violence concerns among  state  and
local   government  agencies,  and  serving  as  a  forum  for  enhanced
interagency information sharing and cooperation;
(i) recommending priority activities for funding through  the  firearm
violence  research  fund,  created pursuant to section ninety-seven-j of
the state finance law;
(j) working on a continuing basis with policymakers in the legislature
and state agencies  to  identify,  implement,  and  evaluate  innovative
firearm violence prevention policies and programs;
(k)  recruiting  and  providing specialized training opportunities for
new researchers, including experienced investigators in  related  fields
who are beginning work on firearm violence, young investigators who have
completed their education, postdoctoral scholars, doctoral students, and
undergraduates; and
(l) providing copies of their research publications to the legislature
and  to  agencies supplying data used in the conduct of such research as
soon as is practicable following publication.
2. Research. The institute shall foster, pursue,  and  sponsor  basic,
translational, and transformative research, field studies, and all other
such activities to research:
(a)  the nature of firearm violence, including individual and societal
determinants of risk for involvement in firearm violence, whether  as  a
victim or a perpetrator;
(b)  the  individual,  community, and societal consequences of firearm
violence;
(c)  the  prevention  and  treatment  of  firearm  violence   at   the
individual, community, and societal levels;
(d) the effectiveness of existing laws and policies intended to reduce
firearm  violence,  and efforts to promote the responsible ownership and
use of firearms; and
(e) other research as deemed by the institute to be aligned  with  its
core mission.
3.   Education  and  information  transfer  programs.  To  the  extent
possible, the institute  shall  foster  the  collection,  transfer,  and
application of firearm violence information in the state by:
(a)  fostering  access,  compatibility,  interchange, and synthesis of
data about firearm violence maintained by public entities, academic  and
research institutions, and private organizations;
(b) employing advanced technology to coordinate for ease of use of the
scattered firearm violence resources of the state; and
(c) supporting the preparation and publication of interpretative works
that draw upon firearm violence resources.
4.  Quinquennial  reports.  The  institute  shall prepare and submit a
report within one year of the effective date of this section  and  every
five  years  thereafter  to  the governor and the legislature describing
programs undertaken  or  sponsored  by  the  institute,  the  status  of
knowledge  regarding  the  state's  firearm violence, and research needs
related thereto.
5. Executive committee. The institute shall be guided by an  executive
committee.  Members  of  the committee shall be from varying backgrounds
with members selected from the scientific community, academic community,
as well as from government service. Such committee shall consist of  ten
members  including  the  commissioner  of education, the commissioner of
criminal justice services, the commissioner of health, the chancellor of
the state university of New  York  or  their  designees,  two  at  large
members  appointed  by  the  governor,  two  members  appointed  by  the
temporary president of the senate, and  two  members  appointed  by  the
speaker  of  the  assembly.  Appointed members shall serve for a term of
three  years,  provided  that  such  members  may  be  reappointed.  The
executive committee shall:
(a)  adopt  policies,  procedures, and criteria governing the programs
and operations of the institute;
(b) recommend to the governor and legislature appropriate  actions  to
reduce firearm violence within the state;
(c)  develop  and  implement  the  research, education and information
transfer programs of the institute;
(d) identify and rate proposals for firearm violence research;
(e) submit to the director of the budget, and the chairpersons of  the
senate  finance  committee  and the assembly ways and means committee on
the first day of October, two  thousand  twenty-one  and  on  or  before
August  first each year thereafter, a budget request for the expenditure
of funds available from the firearm  violence  research  fund,  for  the
purposes established by section ninety-seven-j of the state finance law;
and
(f)  meet  publicly  at least twice a year. The committee shall widely
disseminate notice of its meetings at least  two  weeks  prior  to  each
meeting. The commissioners on the executive committee and the chancellor
of the state university of New York shall aid in such dissemination.
6.  Scientific working group. The institute shall appoint a scientific
working group consisting of individuals having knowledge  and  expertise
in firearm violence research which shall advise and make recommendations
to the institute regarding its research and information programs.
7.  Institute  director. The institute shall have a director who shall
be appointed by the executive committee and shall after  appointment  be
an  employee of the state university. The institute director shall serve
at the pleasure of the executive committee. The institute director shall
serve as chief administrative officer of the institute and  provide  the
necessary support for the executive committee.
8.  Compensation.  The  members  of  the  executive  committee and the
scientific working group shall serve  without  additional  compensation,
but  shall  be  eligible  to  receive reimbursement for their actual and
necessary expenses from the firearm violence research  fund  established
by  section  ninety-seven-j  of the state finance law, provided however,

members of the  executive  committee  representing  state  agencies  may
receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses from their
respective  agencies.  Members of the executive committee and scientific
working  group  shall  be considered state employees for the purposes of
sections seventeen and nineteen of the public officers law.
9. Memorandum of understanding. The state university of New York,  the
department of health, the department of motor vehicles, and the division
of  criminal  justice  services shall enter into a written memorandum of
understanding  to  facilitate  the  appropriate  implementation  of  the
firearm violence research institute and the goals, responsibilities, and
programs established by this section.