New York S 3209: Provides for children under the age of eighteen to wear protective headgear while skiing or snowboarding

Bill Text

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S03209 Summary:

BILL NOS03209 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A10822

&nbsp

SPONSORKAVANAGH

&nbsp

COSPNSRHOYLMAN-SIGAL

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MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§18-102, 18-105 & 18-106, add §18-105-a, Gen Ob L; amd §867, add §867-a, Lab L

&nbsp

Requires children under the age of eighteen to wear protective headgear while skiing or snowboarding; imposes civil fines for violations thereof; applies safety in skiing code requirements to snowboarders and snowboarding.

Go to top S03209 Actions:

BILL NOS03209 

&nbsp

01/24/2025REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

01/07/2026REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

03/05/2026REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

05/19/2026REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO HEALTH

Go to topS03209 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS03209 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS03209 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3209

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 24, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. KAVANAGH, HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judici-
 ary

 AN ACT to amend the general obligations law and the labor law, in
 relation to the duties of skiers and snowboarders

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 18-102 of the general obligations law is amended by
 2 adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
 3 8. "Snowboarder" means any person wearing a snowboard and actually on
 4 a ski slope or a trail located at a ski area, for the purpose of snow-
 5 boarding.
 6 § 2. Subdivisions 13 and 14 of section 18-105 of the general obli-
 7 gations law, as added by chapter 711 of the laws of 1988, are amended
 8 and a new subdivision 15 is added to read as follows:
 9 13. To report any personal injury to the ski area operator before
 10 leaving the ski area; [and]
 11 14. Not to willfully remove, deface, alter or otherwise damage
 12 signage, warning devices or implements, or other safety devices placed
 13 and maintained by the ski area operator pursuant to the requirements of
 14 section 18-103 of this article[.]; and
 15 15. Not to engage in downhill skiing in any area unless such skier is
 16 wearing a protective helmet. The provisions of this subdivision shall
 17 apply only to skiers under eighteen years of age.
 18 § 3. The general obligations law is amended by adding a new section
 19 18-105-a to read as follows:
 20 § 18-105-a. Snowboarders; protective helmets. No person under eighteen
 21 years of age shall engage in snowboarding in any area unless such person
 22 is wearing a protective helmet.
 23 § 4. The opening paragraph of section 18-106 of the general obli-
 24 gations law, as added by chapter 711 of the laws of 1988, is amended to
 25 read as follows:
 26 It is recognized that skiing [is a] and snowboarding are voluntary
 27 [activity] activities that may be hazardous regardless of all feasible

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07004-01-5

 S. 3209 2

 1 safety measures that can be undertaken by ski area operators. According-
 2 ly:
 3 § 5. Paragraphs c and d of subdivision 1 of section 18-106 of the
 4 general obligations law, paragraph c as added by chapter 711 of the laws
 5 of 1988 and paragraph d as amended by chapter 322 of the laws of 1989,
 6 are amended and two new paragraphs e and f are added to read as follows:
 7 c. To make available at reasonable fees, as required by subdivision
 8 thirteen of section 18-103 of this article, instruction and education
 9 for skiers relative to the risks inherent in the sport and the duties
 10 prescribed for skiers by this article, and to conspicuously post notice
 11 of the times and places of availability of such instruction and educa-
 12 tion in locations where it is likely to be seen by skiers; [and]
 13 d. To post notice to skiers of the right to a refund to the purchaser
 14 in the form and amount paid in the initial sale of any lift ticket
 15 returned to the ski area operator, intact and unused, upon declaration
 16 by such purchaser that [he or she] such purchaser is unprepared or
 17 unwilling to ski due