New York Assemblywoman Amy Paulin of Westchester County has introduced a new bill intended to improve fan safety at the state’s large baseball stadiums, the timesunion reports.
The proposed legislation calls for the extension of protective netting from behind home plate to the foul poles on either side, and would apply to stadiums with a capacity of 5,000 or more.
In the bill’s justification memorandum, Paulin drew attention to two recent incidents at Yankee Stadium in which fans were struck by a ball, resulting in serious injury.
Related: Fan Injuries Lead to Calls for Extended Stadium Netting
“These injuries, along with the thousands more that occur every year as a result of foul balls or flying broken bats, highlight the need to take protective measures to ensure the safety of baseball fans during America’s favorite pastime,” wrote Paulin.
Currently, netting at Yankee Stadium covers the stands between dugouts, but the team has already announced its intention to “significantly expand” the protected space.
On Wednesday, the Yankees detailed plans to place the netting above the dugouts and along the foul lines covering five sections at both Yankee Stadium and the team’s spring training facility in Florida.
Assemblywoman Paulin is not the first to broach the subject of increased safety standards in New York’s baseball parks — last year, a New York City councilman introduced a bill to require netting extending to the foul poles at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and several minor league parks.
According to the timesunion, there is currently no Senate same-as version of Paulin’s bill.
