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Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
1. Establishment and organization. There is hereby established within the division of criminal justice services an office of gun violence prevention, hereinafter “office”.
2. Duties and responsibilities. The office shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(a) Advance efforts to prevent, reduce, and address gun violence and its causes and consequences. “Gun violence” shall include, but is not limited to, any attempted crime, crime, attempted suicide, suicide, intentional or unintentional injury, or death involving a firearm, rifle, or shotgun as defined in section 265.00 of the penal law.
(b) Identify funding opportunities and other resources available related to gun violence prevention and reduction, and increase public awareness of such funding opportunities.
(c) Support efforts to improve the state's health and social service system capacity and capabilities to prevent and respond to gun violence including, but not limited to, state hospital-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives, in consultation with the department of health.
(d) Coordinate and strengthen timely, accurate, and complete data collection and research regarding firearm-related injuries, fatalities, and incidents by focusing on surveillance, prevention, and intervention of gun violence statewide.
(e) Increase public awareness of gun violence causes and consequences and gun violence prevention efforts through public education campaigns or other educational efforts. Such campaigns and education efforts shall include but not be limited to adoption of best practices related to gun violence prevention, the impacts of various types of gun violence on individuals, families, and communities, and resources available to individuals at risk of gun violence and individuals impacted by gun violence.
(f) Collaborate with, and where practicable, facilitate, and assist political subdivisions of the state and not-for-profit organizations in the development of local programs, services, and interventions to prevent, reduce, and address gun violence.
(g) On or before September first, two thousand twenty-five, develop and implement a public awareness campaign to educate the public on the safe storage of firearms, rifles and shotguns and child access and prevention. The public awareness campaign shall include, but not be limited to, educational materials, resources and information related to New York state child access prevention laws and laws relating to the safe storage and transport of firearms, rifles and shotguns including sections 265.45, 265.46, and 400.00 of the penal law, available methods for the safe storage of firearms, rifles and shotguns designed to prevent child access, firearm violence prevention resources, and county and local specific laws and regulations related to child access prevention and storage of firearms, rifles and shotguns.
3. Annual report. The office shall issue an annual report including, but not limited to, information on the status of gun violence in the state, recommendations for policy and programmatic initiatives to prevent and reduce gun violence in the state, and a description of the efforts of the office to carry out the duties and objectives of the office under this section. Such report shall be posted on the division's website no later than one year after the effective date of this section, and annually thereafter.
4. Assistance to the office. Other state agencies and authorities shall provide cooperation and assistance, pursuant to subdivision five of section eight hundred thirty-six of this article, to the office in the effective performance of its duties.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Executive Law - EXC § 837-y. New York state office of gun violence prevention - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/executive-law/exc-sect-837-y/
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