554 - Advisory council on interactive media and youth violence. - New York Statutes

§ 554. Advisory council on interactive media and youth violence. 1. There is hereby created under the board an advisory council on interactive media and youth violence to make recommendations on interactive media and youth violence related issues; address the potential impact of interactive media and similar entertainment devices on minors with particular attention focused on any relationship between the use of such devices and violent tendencies and related issues; review the Entertainment Software Rating Board's video game rating system and make recommendations thereon as to the effectiveness of such system in rating video games and the accuracy of such system in identifying violent or sexual content, including but not limited to racially- and gender-motivated violence and violence against law enforcement; and study the potential of establishing a parent-teacher violence awareness program to identify and appropriately assist students who may have a propensity toward violence. The advisory council shall assist in the development of appropriate policies and priorities for effective intervention, public education and advocacy against youth violence, including but not limited to racially- and gender-motivated violence and violence against law enforcement, and to facilitate and assure communication and coordination of efforts among state agencies and between different levels of government, state, federal, and municipal, for the prevention of youth violence. 2. The advisory council shall consist of sixteen members. Each member shall be appointed by the governor to serve a term of three years and shall continue in office until a successor is appointed. A member appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the member he or she is to succeed. The members shall include individuals with expertise in the area of the youth violence, one representative from the video game manufacturing industry and one representative from a trade association representing video game retailers. Four members shall be appointed by the governor. Two members shall be appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the temporary president of the senate, two members shall be appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the speaker of the assembly, one member shall be appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the senate, one member shall be appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the assembly, and the governor shall appoint one member each upon the recommendation of the executive director of the board, commissioner of the education department, commissioner of the office of mental health, commissioner of the office of children and family services, commissioner of the division of criminal justice services, and the chair of the council on the arts. The chair of the advisory council shall be designated by the governor. 3. The advisory council shall submit a written report to the governor and legislature on or before December thirty-first, two thousand nine and annually thereafter, setting forth the recommendations and activities of the advisory council on matters within the scope of its powers and duties as set forth in this section, and describing the progress made regarding policies and priorities for effective intervention, public education and advocacy against youth violence. 4. The advisory council shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the chair but in no event less than two times per year. 5. The members of the advisory council shall receive no salary or other compensation for their services but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within amounts made available by appropriation therefor subject to the approval of the director of the budget.