New York Assembly Bill A03608

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/25
• Refer: 1/29/25

Caption

Authorizes the forest ranger force to establish a training program for volunteer search and rescue personnel to assist the forest rangers in wild, remote and forested areas of the state.

Summary

This bill amends the Environmental Conservation Law to expand the Forest Ranger Force’s search and rescue authority. In addition to the existing program that allows forest rangers to organize, direct, and execute search and rescue operations in fire towns and fire districts, the bill authorizes the department to establish, direct, and maintain a training and credentialing program for volunteer wild land search and rescue personnel. The volunteer personnel would be trained and credentialed to assist and respond alongside forest rangers in searches for lost or missing persons in the state’s wild, remote, and forested areas. The bill does not change the basic jurisdictional rule that criminal matters or fugitive searches remain under the appropriate law enforcement agency, and it takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend section 9-0105 of the Environmental Conservation Law by adding a new subdivision authorizing the Forest Ranger Force to create a formal volunteer training and credentialing program. This would give the Department of Environmental Conservation a clearer statutory basis to organize non-employee search and rescue helpers and integrate them into wilderness search operations. It primarily affects the Forest Ranger Force, volunteer search and rescue personnel, and people who may need rescue in remote or forested areas, while leaving existing law enforcement jurisdiction unchanged for criminal or fugitive-related searches.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented legislative debate or recorded sentiment in the available materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be a practical public-safety proposal aimed at improving search and rescue capacity in remote areas, with no visible opposition or controversy in the record provided.

Contention

The bill text itself suggests limited controversy, but the main policy questions would likely concern how volunteer rescuers are selected, trained, credentialed, supervised, and integrated with professional forest rangers. Potential concerns could include liability, standards of competence, and coordination with existing law enforcement and emergency response agencies. No specific objections, supporters, or contested issues are identified in the provided transcripts or voting history.