Senate Bill S6498

Signed By Governor
2021-2022 Legislative Session

Prohibits the use of certain restraints on children appearing before family court

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor


  • 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

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions
Votes

2021-S6498 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7796
Law Section:
Family Court Act
Laws Affected:
Add §162-a, Fam Ct Act

2021-S6498 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the use of handcuffs, chains, shackles, irons, straitjackets and other restraints on children under the age of twenty-one appearing before family court.

2021-S6498 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S6498 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6498
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 4, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- (at request of the Office of Court Adminis-
   tration)  --  read  twice  and ordered printed, and when printed to be
   committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN ACT to amend the family court act, in relation to use  of  restraints
   on children appearing before the family court

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The family court act is amended by  adding  a  new  section
 162-a to read as follows:
   §  162-A.  USE  OF  RESTRAINTS  ON  CHILDREN IN COURTROOMS. (A) USE OF
 RESTRAINTS. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED  IN  SUBDIVISION  (B)  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  RESTRAINTS ON CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE, INCLUDING,
 BUT NOT LIMITED TO, HANDCUFFS, CHAINS, SHACKLES, IRONS OR STRAITJACKETS,
 ARE PROHIBITED IN THE COURTROOM.
   (B) EXCEPTION. PERMISSIBLE PHYSICAL RESTRAINT CONSISTING OF  HANDCUFFS
 OR  FOOTCUFFS  THAT SHALL NOT BE JOINED TO EACH OTHER MAY BE USED IN THE
 COURTROOM DURING A PROCEEDING BEFORE THE COURT ONLY IF THE COURT  DETER-
 MINES ON THE RECORD, AFTER PROVIDING THE CHILD WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
 HEARD, WHY SUCH RESTRAINT IS THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ALTERNATIVE NECESSARY
 TO PREVENT:
   (1) PHYSICAL INJURY TO THE CHILD OR ANOTHER PERSON BY THE CHILD;
   (2)   PHYSICALLY  DISRUPTIVE  COURTROOM  BEHAVIOR  BY  THE  CHILD,  AS
 EVIDENCED BY A RECENT HISTORY OF BEHAVIOR THAT PRESENTED  A  SUBSTANTIAL
 RISK  OF PHYSICAL HARM TO THE CHILD OR ANOTHER PERSON, WHERE SUCH BEHAV-
 IOR INDICATES A SUBSTANTIAL LIKELIHOOD OF CURRENT PHYSICALLY  DISRUPTIVE
 COURTROOM BEHAVIOR BY THE CHILD; OR
   (3)  FLIGHT  FROM THE COURTROOM BY THE CHILD, AS EVIDENCED BY A RECENT
 HISTORY OF ABSCONDING FROM THE COURT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08879-01-1

              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.