Senate Bill S9170

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9170
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 10, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in  relation  to  requisite  training
   instruction  for  police officers for crimes involving human traffick-
   ing; and to amend the transportation law,  in  relation  to  requisite
   training for entities providing public transportation

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Section 214-d of the executive law, as  added  by  chapter
 368 of the laws of  2015, is amended to read as follows:
   § 214-d. Human trafficking awareness. The superintendent, in consulta-
 tion  with  the  office  of  temporary and disability assistance and the
 division of criminal justice services, shall:
   [(1) develop] 1. DEVELOP, maintain and disseminate to all  members  of
 the  state police, including new and veteran officers, written policies,
 procedures and  educational  materials  relating  to  human  trafficking
 victims,  including services available for victims of human trafficking,
 as referenced in section four  hundred  eighty-three-bb  of  the  social
 services law; and
   [(2)  establish]  2.  ESTABLISH  and  implement written procedures and
 policies in the event a member of the division of state police  encount-
 ers  an  individual  believed to be a victim of human trafficking, which
 shall include, but not be  limited  to,  the  provision  of  information
 and/or  referral to an appropriate provider of social and legal services
 to human trafficking victims, in accordance  with  [such]  section  four
 hundred eighty-three-bb OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW; AND
   3.  CONSULT  WITH  THE MUNICIPAL POLICE TRAINING COUNCIL REGARDING THE
 DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE TRAINING COURSES RELATED TO THE HANDLING, RESPONSE
 PROCEDURES, INVESTIGATION, AND PROSECUTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASES.
   § 2. Subdivision 8 of section 840 of the executive law,  as  added  by
 chapter  632  of  the laws of 2025 is renumbered subdivision 9 and a new
 subdivision 10 is added to read as follows:
   10. THE COUNCIL SHALL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF  THE
 STATE  POLICE,  DEVELOP  POLICIES  AND PROCEDURES REQUIRING TRAINING AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14414-02-6
 S. 9170                             2
 
 INSTRUCTION FOR ALL POLICE OFFICERS WITH  RESPECT  TO  CRIMES  INVOLVING
 HUMAN  TRAFFICKING  AND  REGARDING  THE HANDLING OF SITUATIONS INVOLVING
 INDIVIDUALS WHO APPEAR TO BE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SUCH POLICIES
 AND  PROCEDURES  SHALL MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF
 NEW AND VETERAN POLICE OFFICERS. SUCH TRAINING AND EDUCATION SHALL FOCUS
 ON APPROPRIATE RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING  MATTERS
 INVOLVING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO
 A  DEMONSTRATION  OF  AND  INFORMATION REGARDING KNOWN SIGNS AND SIGNALS
 THAT MAY BE USED OR COMMUNICATED BY VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING SEEKING
 ASSISTANCE OR MAY BE OBSERVED BY INDIVIDUALS IN  PUBLIC  SPACES,  UNDER-
 STANDING  ABUSE TRAUMA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES CONFRONTED BY SUCH CRIME
 VICTIMS, COMMON ATTRIBUTES OF OFFENDERS, FAIR  TREATMENT  STANDARDS  FOR
 CRIME VICTIMS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE TWENTY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER, EVIDENCE
 GATHERING  AND PRESERVATION ISSUES, INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES AND INFORMATION
 CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL SERVICES FOR THE  VICTIMS  OF  SUCH
 CRIMES.  THESE  COURSES  SHALL BE REVIEWED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS
 AND MODIFIED FROM TIME TO TIME AS NEED MAY  REQUIRE.  ALL  NEW  OFFICERS
 SHALL  RECEIVE  SUCH  TRAINING  AND  INSTRUCTION,  AS  PART OF THE BASIC
 CURRICULUM AT THE STATE POLICE ACADEMY OR AT MUNICIPAL POLICE ACADEMIES,
 AS APPLICABLE. SUCH REQUIRED TRAINING  FOR  CURRENT  OFFICERS  SHALL  BE
 COMPLETED  WITHIN THIRTY-SIX MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDI-
 VISION; PROVIDED HOWEVER IT SHALL BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS
 OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF
 ONE MILLION OR MORE.
   § 3. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 14-o to
 read as follows:
   § 14-O. HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION AND  TRAINING  PROGRAM.  1.  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, "PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY" SHALL MEAN
 EACH TRANSPORTATION  AUTHORITY  OR  TRANSIT  AUTHORITY  SUBJECT  TO  THE
 PROVISIONS OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES LAW OR THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAP-
 TER, PROVIDED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY
 AUTHORITY OPERATED BY A BI-STATE AUTHORITY.
   2. (A) EVERY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY SHALL REQUIRE ALL EMPLOY-
 EES  OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, AND ALL EMPLOYEES OR OPERA-
 TORS OF PRIVATE ENTITIES  UNDER  CONTRACT  TO  A  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION
 AUTHORITY  TO  PROVIDE REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE, WHO ARE LIKELY TO INTERACT
 OR COME INTO CONTACT WITH GUESTS OR RIDERS TO UNDERGO A HUMAN  TRAFFICK-
 ING  RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN THE RECOGNITION
 OF A HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM AS DEFINED IN SECTION FOUR HUNDRED  EIGHT-
 Y-THREE-AA  OF  THE  SOCIAL SERVICES LAW. SUCH TRAINING PROGRAM SHALL BE
 ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED BY THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND
 THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE IN  CONSULTATION  WITH
 THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  INTERAGENCY  TASK FORCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THE
 TRAINING PROGRAM MAY BE DEVELOPED BY A  FEDERAL,  STATE,  OR  NON-PROFIT
 ORGANIZATION,  AND MAY BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTA-
 TION AUTHORITY'S EXISTING TRAINING PROGRAMS OR MAY BE PROVIDED BY ORGAN-
 IZATIONS OR PROVIDERS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION  OF
 CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES OR THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY
 AND  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE,  PROVIDED THAT THE TRAINING INCLUDES ALL OF
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF  THIS  SECTION.  ESTABLISHED  OR  APPROVED  TRAINING
 PROGRAMS MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH METHODS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMIT-
 ED  TO,  IN-PERSON  INSTRUCTION,  ELECTRONIC AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION, OR
 ONLINE PROGRAMS.
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER, AT THE COMMISSIONER'S DISCRETION, MAY WAIVE  THE
 TRAINING  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THIS  SECTION  FOR  A  PRIVATE  ENTITY UNDER
 CONTRACT TO THE CORPORATION TO PROVIDE  REGULAR  ROUTE  SERVICE  IF  THE
 S. 9170                             3
 
 PRIVATE  ENTITY REQUIRES ITS EMPLOYEES OR OPERATORS TO COMPLETE AN EQUAL
 OR GREATER TRAINING COURSE ON THE HANDLING AND RESPONSE  PROCEDURES  FOR
 SUSPECTED HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACTIVITIES.
   3.(A)  ANY  HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
 OR APPROVED BY THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND THE  OFFICE
 OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK
 STATE  INTERAGENCY  TASK  FORCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS REQUIRED IN THIS
 SECTION SHALL ADDRESS NO LESS THAN THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:
   (I) THE NATURE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING;
   (II) HOW HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS DEFINED IN LAW;
   (III) HOW TO IDENTIFY VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND
   (IV) WHO TO CONTACT, SUCH AS THE NATIONAL HUMAN  TRAFFICKING  HOTLINE,
 WHICH CONNECTS VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO:
   (A) RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPTIONS; AND
   (B) SOCIAL AND LEGAL SERVICES.
   (B)  THE  TRAINING  COURSE  SHALL  BE REVIEWED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO
 YEARS AND MODIFIED AS NEEDED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND THE  APPROVED  NON-
 PROFIT COURSE PROVIDER, AS APPROPRIATE.
   4.  (A)  EACH  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION COMPANY SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
 ENSURING THAT ALL REQUIRED CURRENT EMPLOYEES AND ALL EMPLOYEES OR OPERA-
 TORS OF PRIVATE ENTITIES  UNDER  CONTRACT  TO  A  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION
 AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE COMPLETE THE TRAINING COURSE.
 PERSONS EMPLOYED ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION MUST COMPLETE THE
 TRAINING  WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. TRAIN-
 ING FOR EMPLOYEES WHO COMMENCE EMPLOYMENT AFTER THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  SECTION  MUST  COMPLETE  THE  TRAINING  WITHIN  SIX  MONTHS OF THE
 COMMENCEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT.
   (B) IF AN APPROVED NON-PROFIT COURSE PROVIDER IS INVOLVED IN PROVIDING
 THE TRAINING COURSE TO NEW EMPLOYEES WHO INITIALLY  COMMENCE  EMPLOYMENT
 AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE NON-PROFIT COURSE PROVIDER
 SHALL  PROVIDE  THE  TRAINING  COURSE  AT LEAST ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS IN
 ORDER FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO MEET THE SIX-MONTH TRAINING DEADLINE.
   (C) EACH CONTRACT ENTERED  INTO  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION  BETWEEN  A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND A PRIVATE ENTITY
 TO PROVIDE REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE SHALL INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT THAT OPERA-
 TORS OF THE PRIVATE ENTITY THAT PROVIDES  REGULAR  ROUTE  SERVICE  UNDER
 SUCH  CONTRACT  SHALL  ATTEND  THE ONE-TIME TRAINING COURSE, UNLESS SUCH
 REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF
 THIS  SECTION;  PROVIDED  THAT  THE  PROVISION OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT
 APPLY TO ANY CURRENT CONTRACT BETWEEN A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION  AUTHORITY
 AND  A  PRIVATE ENTITY TO PROVIDE REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE THAT WAS ENTERED
 INTO PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   5. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE  SERVICES  AND
 THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE
 SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE A LIST ONLINE  OF  ESTABLISHED  OR  APPROVED  HUMAN
 TRAFFICKING  RECOGNITION  PROGRAMS  FOR  USE  BY  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION
 AUTHORITIES AND PRIVATE ENTITIES UNDER CONTRACT.
   6. EACH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY SHALL MAINTAIN  RECORDS  INDI-
 CATING THAT EACH EMPLOYEE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO AN ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED
 HUMAN  TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION
 HAS COMPLETED SUCH TRAINING. SUCH RECORDS SHALL BE KEPT ON FILE  BY  THE
 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY FOR THE PERIOD DURING WHICH THE EMPLOYEE
 IS  EMPLOYED  BY  THE  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND FOR ONE YEAR
 AFTER SUCH EMPLOYMENT ENDS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law; provided that the amendments to subdivision 8 of section 840 of the
 S. 9170                             4
 
 executive  law  made by section two of this act shall take effect on the
 same date and in the same manner as section one of chapter  632  of  the
 laws  of  2025 takes effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.