Senate Bill S8495

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Prohibits law enforcement officers from using racial and ethnic profiling

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2019-S8495 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Codes
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Add §837-v, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S1206, S8109
2023-2024: S4892

2019-S8495 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits law enforcement officers from using racial and ethnic profiling; requires that a procedure be established for the taking and review of complaints against law enforcement officers for racial and ethnic profiling; allows an action for injunctive relief and/or damages to be brought against a law enforcement agency.

2019-S8495 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8495 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8495
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 6, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law,  in  relation  to  ethnic  or  racial
   profiling
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section  837-v
 to read as follows:
   §  837-V.  ETHNIC  AND  RACIAL  PROFILING. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION:
   (A) "LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY" MEANS AN AGENCY ESTABLISHED BY THE  STATE
 OR  A  UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGED IN THE PREVENTION, DETECTION, OR
 INVESTIGATION OF VIOLATIONS OF CRIMINAL LAW.
   (B) "LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER" MEANS A POLICE OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICER,
 AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISIONS THIRTY-THREE AND THIRTY-FOUR OF SECTION  1.20
 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW, EMPLOYED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
   (C)  "RACIAL OR ETHNIC PROFILING" MEANS THE PRACTICE OF A LAW ENFORCE-
 MENT AGENT OR AGENCY, RELYING, TO ANY DEGREE,  ON  ACTUAL  OR  PERCEIVED
 RACE,  COLOR,  ETHNICITY, NATIONAL ORIGIN OR RELIGION IN SELECTING WHICH
 INDIVIDUAL OR LOCATION TO SUBJECT TO ROUTINE OR SPONTANEOUS INVESTIGATO-
 RY ACTIVITIES OR IN  DECIDING  UPON  THE  SCOPE  AND  SUBSTANCE  OF  LAW
 ENFORCEMENT  ACTIVITY  FOLLOWING  THE  INITIAL  INVESTIGATORY PROCEDURE,
 EXCEPT WHEN THERE IS TRUSTWORTHY INFORMATION, RELEVANT TO  THE  LOCALITY
 AND  TIMEFRAME,  THAT LINKS A SPECIFIC PERSON OR LOCATION WITH A PARTIC-
 ULAR CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIBED IN THIS PARAGRAPH TO AN IDENTIFIED  CRIMI-
 NAL INCIDENT OR SCHEME.
   (D)  "ROUTINE  OR  SPONTANEOUS  INVESTIGATORY  ACTIVITIES"  MEANS  THE
 FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT:
   (I) INTERVIEWS;
   (II) TRAFFIC STOPS;
   (III) PEDESTRIAN STOPS;
   (IV) FRISKS AND OTHER TYPES OF BODY SEARCHES;
   (V) CONSENSUAL OR  NONCONSENSUAL  SEARCHES  OF  PERSONS,  PROPERTY  OR
 POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING VEHICLES) OF INDIVIDUALS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

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