NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1910

Senate Bill S1910

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Provides for the operation of a youth services unit within the port authority police department

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Corporations, Authorities And Commissions 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 17, 2023	referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

2023-S1910 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5982
Current Committee:: Senate Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Laws Affected:: Add Art VII-F, §1 of Chap 154 of 1921
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S1910, A5982

2023-S1910 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the operation of a youth services unit within the port authority police department tasked with aiding youths in danger of exploitation.

2023-S1910 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1910

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to the port
authority of New York and New Jersey, in relation to the operation of a
youth services unit within the port authority police department

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To direct the Port Authority Police Department to operate youth services
units at bus terminals and airports operated by the authority, at all
Port Authority Trans-Hudson stations and at the World Trade Center.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one amends chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 by adding a new arti-
cle VII-F to provide that the Port Authority Police Department shall
operate a youth services unit at any bus terminal and airport operated
by the authority, at all Port Authority Trans-Hudson stations and at the
World Trade Center. Such youth services unit shall be tasked with

combatting human and sex trafficking through measures including but not
limited to intercepting runaway youths; collaborating with undercover
plain clothed police officers and social workers; identifying vulnerable
youths before they become victimized; identifying and stopping preda-
tors; assisting in state and federal prosecution of offenders; reuniting
at-risk youths with their families; and providing services referrals to
at-risk youths and victims of trafficking.

Section two provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In the 1980s, the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) established
the Youth Services Unit (YSU). It is the oldest specialized police unit
in the country dedicated to identifying young people in danger of
exploitation and combatting runaways and human and sex trafficking. The
YSU currently operates at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and is a
collaboration between undercover plain clothed officers and social work-
ers.

The YSU has been extremely successful in identifying vulnerable youths
and finding them appropriate services, as well prosecuting predators,
intervening in thousands of cases over the years. The PAPD would like to
expand the YSU to create units at additional Port Authority locations.
This bill would authorize the PAPD to establish YSUs at Port Authority
airports, Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) stations, and at the Oculus
Transportation Hub at the World Trade Center. Expanding the presence of
YSUs will be an invaluable resource to get at-risk youths the services
they need, to deter perpetrators, and ultimately, to drastically reduce
the number of children who become trafficking victims.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the state of
New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect.

2023-S1910 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1910
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
   and Commissions
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to the port
   authority of New York and New Jersey, in relation to the operation  of
   a youth services unit within the port authority police department
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 154 of the laws of 1921,  relating  to
 the  port  authority  of New York and New Jersey, is amended by adding a
 new article VII-F to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE VII-F
   1. THE PORT AUTHORITY POLICE DEPARTMENT SHALL OPERATE A YOUTH SERVICES
 UNIT AT ANY BUS TERMINAL AND AIRPORT OPERATED BY THE AUTHORITY,  AT  ALL
 PORT AUTHORITY TRANS-HUDSON STATIONS AND AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
   2.  SUCH  YOUTH  SERVICES  UNIT  SHALL BE TASKED WITH AIDING YOUTHS IN
 DANGER OF EXPLOITATION, NAMELY THOSE WHO ARE RUNAWAYS AND WHO MAY BE  IN
 DANGER  OF  BECOMING  HUMAN AND SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS THROUGH MEASURES
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INTERCEPTING RUNAWAY YOUTHS;  COLLABORATING
 WITH  UNDERCOVER PLAIN CLOTHED POLICE OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS; IDEN-
 TIFYING VULNERABLE YOUTHS BEFORE THEY BECOME VICTIMIZED; IDENTIFYING AND
 STOPPING PERPETRATORS; ASSISTING IN STATE  AND  FEDERAL  PROSECUTION  OF
 OFFENDERS;  REUNITING  AT-RISK YOUTHS WITH THEIR FAMILIES; AND PROVIDING
 SERVICES REFERRALS TO AT-RISK YOUTHS AND VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
   3. THE PORT AUTHORITY IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO MAKE  AND  ENFORCE  SUCH
 RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ARTICLE.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the
 state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical  effect;  but  if
 the  state  of  New  Jersey shall have already enacted such legislation,
 then this act shall take effect immediately and provided that the  state
 of New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06133-01-3

 S. 1910                             2
 
 the  occurrence  of the enactment of the provisions provided for in this
 act in order that the commission may maintain  an  accurate  and  timely
 effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New
 York  in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the
 legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.

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