Bill Text: NY A08044 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to providing increased and uniform training requirements including implicit bias, use of force, first aid and firearm training, and outreach for law enforcement; establishes law enforcement peer support through the office of mental health.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-05 - enacting clause stricken [A08044 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A08044-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8044

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      June 11, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Governmental Operations

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation  to  providing  increased
          and  uniform  training  requirements and outreach for law enforcement;
          and to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to administering  law
          enforcement peer support

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subparagraph 2 of paragraph (d) of subdivision 4 of section
     2  840 of the executive law, as added by section 1 of part ZZ of chapter 55
     3  of the laws of 2019, is amended and a new subparagraph  5  is  added  to
     4  read as follows:
     5    (2)  The  model law enforcement use of force policy shall include, but
     6  is not limited to:
     7    (i) information on current law as it relates to the use  of  force  by
     8  police and peace officers;
     9    (ii) guidelines regarding when use of force is permitted and requiring
    10  such force to be reasonable;
    11    (iii) requirements for reporting and documenting use of force;
    12    (iv) procedures for reporting to a supervisor and investigating use of
    13  force incidents;
    14    (v)  guidelines  regarding  excessive  use  of force including duty to
    15  intervene when appropriate  and  safe,  reporting,  and  timely  medical
    16  treatment  for  injured  persons,  including  immediate  medical  aid to
    17  gunshot victims, including victims injured  during  an  officer-involved
    18  shooting;
    19    (vi) standards for failure to adhere to use of force guidelines;
    20    (vii) training mandates on use of force, conflict prevention, conflict
    21  resolution  and  negotiation,  de-escalation  techniques and strategies,
    22  including, but not limited to, interacting with persons presenting in an
    23  agitated condition; [and]

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08828-01-1

        A. 8044                             2

     1    (viii) prohibited uses of force[.];
     2    (ix)  training  mandates  on first-aid procedures including the use of
     3  tourniquets and QuikClot in addition to annual CPR and AED training;
     4    (x) requirements for de-escalation by  officers  without  compromising
     5  safety; and
     6    (xi) guidelines for holding officers accountable to use sound tactics,
     7  including,  but  not limited to, time, distance and cover, to reduce the
     8  need to use force.
     9    (5) Establish in conjunction with the division  of  state  police  and
    10  regularly  update a data collection and reporting system for the purpose
    11  of tracking all officer-involved deadly force  encounters.  Such  deadly
    12  force  encounters  and  uses of force resulting in serious bodily injury
    13  shall also be reported to the bureau of criminal apprehension for inclu-
    14  sion in the FBI's national use-of-force database.
    15    § 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 840  of  the  executive
    16  law, as added by section 4 of part JJ of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018,
    17  is amended to read as follows:
    18    (a)  Develop,  maintain  and  disseminate,  in  consultation  with the
    19  commissioner of the office for people  with  developmental  disabilities
    20  and  in  consultation  with  individuals with developmental, physical or
    21  intellectual disabilities, written policies  and  procedures  consistent
    22  with  section 13.43 of the mental hygiene law, regarding the handling of
    23  emergency situations involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder
    24  and other developmental, physical  or  intellectual  disabilities.  Such
    25  policies  and  procedures  shall  make  provisions for the education and
    26  training of new and veteran police officers on the handling of emergency
    27  situations involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other
    28  developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities; and
    29    § 3. Section 840 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
    30  subdivision 7 to read as follows:
    31    7. The council, in conjunction with the office of public safety, shall
    32  ensure  compliance  with  mandatory  training  requirements  pursuant to
    33  section eight hundred thirty-nine-a of  this  article  by  all  training
    34  academies, police departments in this state and all agencies that employ
    35  police or peace officers.
    36    §  4.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 839-a to
    37  read as follows:
    38    § 839-a. Mandatory trainings. 1. The office  of  public  safety  shall
    39  develop,  regularly  update and maintain trainings to be administered by
    40  law enforcement and training academies to all  prospective  and  current
    41  police  officers  and  peace  officers,  as  defined under section eight
    42  hundred thirty-five of this article; provided, however,  any  individual
    43  specifically excluded from the definition of police officer under subdi-
    44  vision  seven of section eight hundred thirty-five of this article shall
    45  be included for the purposes of this section.
    46    2. Trainings regarding contemporary law enforcement  topics  shall  be
    47  developed,  with  expert and community input, including, but not limited
    48  to youth individuals of color. Such training topics shall  include,  but
    49  not be limited to:
    50    (a)  implicit bias, including implicit racial bias testing which shall
    51  include testing for bias in  shoot/don't  shoot  decision-making  and  a
    52  clear  policy  for  considering an officer's level of racial bias in law
    53  enforcement certification and the hiring process; if  it  is  determined
    54  that  a  prospective police officer or peace officer's bias is such that
    55  he or she cannot be deployed in a community of color, he  or  she  shall
    56  not be hired;

        A. 8044                             3

     1    (b)  de-escalation,  minimization  of  the  use of force and defensive
     2  tactics;
     3    (c) procedural justice;
     4    (d) historical community trauma;
     5    (e) relationship-based policing;
     6    (f) community interaction and diversity;
     7    (g)  crisis  intervention,  mental  health crises, mediation, conflict
     8  management and conflict resolution;
     9    (h) appropriate engagement with youth;
    10    (i) appropriate engagement with lesbian, gay,  bisexual,  transgender,
    11  questioning and gender nonconforming individuals;
    12    (j)  appropriate  engagement  with  individuals  with  limited English
    13  proficiency;
    14    (k) appropriate engagement with  individuals  with  various  religious
    15  affiliations; and
    16    (l)  appropriate engagement with individuals with developmental, phys-
    17  ical or intellectual disabilities.
    18    3. Trainings regarding  the  proper  use  of  firearms  and  defensive
    19  tactics used to de-escalate and properly detain suspects shall be devel-
    20  oped and administered on a monthly basis.
    21    4.  Implementation  of  the requirements of this section shall include
    22  scenario-based trainings. Such trainings shall require all participating
    23  individuals to engage in simulated real life situations to  ensure  when
    24  such  individual  is  faced with such situation in the field, his or her
    25  response is in accordance with the requirements and guidelines set forth
    26  in this section. Such scenario-based trainings shall be administered  at
    27  a minimum, quarterly.
    28    §  5.  Section  837  of the executive law is amended by adding two new
    29  subdivisions 23 and 24 to read as follows:
    30    23. Work in conjunction with the division  of  state  police  and  the
    31  office  of  mental  health  to  establish  law  enforcement peer support
    32  services pursuant to section 7.49 of the mental hygiene law.  The  divi-
    33  sion  shall  provide  all  police officers and peace officers unfettered
    34  access to mental health checks.
    35    24. Require every law enforcement agency to determine  the  amount  of
    36  additional  funding  necessary to provide for and enforce the provisions
    37  of subdivision twenty-three of this section and sections  eight  hundred
    38  thirty-nine-a  and eight hundred forty of this article. Such information
    39  shall be provided to the division no later than one hundred twenty  days
    40  after  the effective date of this subdivision. No later than ninety days
    41  after such data is compiled, the division shall provide the governor and
    42  the legislature with a comprehensive report on the amount of  additional
    43  funding needed to ensure such provisions of law are adequately instilled
    44  and enforced by each law enforcement agency located within the state.
    45    §  6.  Section  210 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 169 of
    46  the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
    47    § 210. Division of state police. 1. The division of  state  police  in
    48  the  executive department shall be known as the "New York State Police."
    49  The head of the New York state police shall  be  the  superintendent  of
    50  state  police  who  shall  be  appointed by the governor by and with the
    51  advice and consent of the senate, and hold  office  during  his  or  her
    52  pleasure.  The  superintendent  shall  be  a member of the state police,
    53  shall receive as salary such sum as may  be  appropriated  by  law,  and
    54  shall  accrue such leave credits and be eligible for the same retirement
    55  benefits, service credits and other benefits as any other member of  the
    56  state  police.  If, prior to appointment, the superintendent served as a

        A. 8044                             4

     1  member of the state police, he or she, upon appointment, shall be  enti-
     2  tled  to  continue to accrue and receive such credits and benefits as he
     3  or she would have been entitled to accrue and receive prior to  appoint-
     4  ment.
     5    2.  If, prior to his or her appointment, the superintendent shall have
     6  served as a member of the State Police for a  period  of  ten  years  or
     7  more,  he  or  she shall, provided he or she is not eligible for retire-
     8  ment, upon termination of service  as  superintendent,  be  reappointed,
     9  without  examination,  as a member of the state police in the grade held
    10  by him or her prior to appointment  as  superintendent,  notwithstanding
    11  the  absence of any vacancy in such grade.  For the purpose of determin-
    12  ing the annual salary to be paid upon such reappointment, the period  of
    13  service  as  superintendent  shall be counted as service in the grade to
    14  which reappointed.
    15    3. The  division  shall  ensure  compliance  with  mandatory  training
    16  requirements  pursuant  to sections two hundred ten-a, two hundred four-
    17  teen-e, and two hundred fourteen-f  of  this  article  by  all  training
    18  schools  or  academies,  including those established pursuant to section
    19  two hundred fourteen of this article, and by all current members of  the
    20  state police.
    21    4.  Work in conjunction with the division of criminal justice services
    22  and the office of  mental  health  to  establish  law  enforcement  peer
    23  support services pursuant to section 7.49 of the mental hygiene law. The
    24  division  shall  provide  all members unfettered access to mental health
    25  checks.
    26    5. The superintendent shall determine the amount of additional funding
    27  necessary to provide for and enforce the provisions of subdivision  four
    28  of  this section and sections two hundred ten-a, two hundred fourteen-e,
    29  and two hundred fourteen-f of this article. Such  information  shall  be
    30  compiled  no later than one hundred twenty days after the effective date
    31  of this subdivision. No later  than  ninety  days  after  such  data  is
    32  compiled,  the  division  shall provide the governor and the legislature
    33  with a comprehensive report on the amount of additional  funding  needed
    34  to  ensure  such provisions of law are adequately instilled and enforced
    35  by the division.
    36    § 7. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  210-a  to
    37  read as follows:
    38    § 210-a. Mandatory trainings. 1. The division shall develop, regularly
    39  update  and maintain trainings to be administered by law enforcement and
    40  training academies, in consultation with the office of public safety, to
    41  all prospective and current members of the division.
    42    2. Trainings regarding contemporary law enforcement  topics  shall  be
    43  developed,  with  expert and community input, including, but not limited
    44  to youth individuals of color. Such training topics shall  include,  but
    45  not be limited to:
    46    (a)  implicit bias, including implicit racial bias testing which shall
    47  include testing for bias in  shoot/don't  shoot  decision-making  and  a
    48  clear  policy  for  considering  a  member's level of racial bias in law
    49  enforcement certification and the hiring process; if  it  is  determined
    50  that  a  prospective police officer or peace officer's bias is such that
    51  he or she cannot be deployed in a community of color, he  or  she  shall
    52  not be hired;
    53    (b)  de-escalation,  minimization  of  the  use of force and defensive
    54  tactics;
    55    (c) procedural justice;
    56    (d) historical community trauma;

        A. 8044                             5

     1    (e) relationship-based policing;
     2    (f) community interaction and diversity;
     3    (g)  crisis  intervention,  mental  health crises, mediation, conflict
     4  management and conflict resolution;
     5    (h) appropriate engagement with youth;
     6    (i) appropriate engagement with lesbian, gay,  bisexual,  transgender,
     7  questioning and gender nonconforming individuals;
     8    (j)  appropriate  engagement  with  individuals  with  limited English
     9  proficiency;
    10    (k) appropriate engagement with  individuals  with  various  religious
    11  affiliations; and
    12    (l)  appropriate engagement with individuals with developmental, phys-
    13  ical or intellectual disabilities.
    14    3. Trainings regarding  the  proper  use  of  firearms  and  defensive
    15  tactics used to de-escalate and properly detain suspects shall be devel-
    16  oped and administered on a monthly basis.
    17    4.  Implementation  of  the requirements of this section shall include
    18  scenario-based trainings. Such trainings shall require all participating
    19  individuals to engage in simulated real life situations to  ensure  when
    20  such  individual  is  faced with such situation in the field, his or her
    21  response is in accordance with the requirements and guidelines set forth
    22  in this section. Such scenario-based trainings shall be administered  at
    23  a minimum, quarterly.
    24    §  8.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 210-b to
    25  read as follows:
    26    § 210-b. Use of force division policies. 1. The division shall  estab-
    27  lish  a  mandatory  use of force policy, which shall include, but not be
    28  limited to:
    29    (a) information on current law as it relates to the use  of  force  by
    30  members;
    31    (b)  guidelines regarding when use of force is permitted and requiring
    32  such force to be reasonable;
    33    (c) requirements for reporting and documenting use of force;
    34    (d) procedures for reporting to a supervisor and investigating use  of
    35  force incidents;
    36    (e)  guidelines  regarding  excessive  use  of force including duty to
    37  intervene when appropriate  and  safe,  reporting,  and  timely  medical
    38  treatment  for  injured  persons,  including  immediate  medical  aid to
    39  gunshot victims, including victims injured  during  an  officer-involved
    40  shooting;
    41    (f) standards for failure to adhere to use of force guidelines;
    42    (g)  training  mandates on use of force, conflict prevention, conflict
    43  resolution and negotiation,  de-escalation  techniques  and  strategies,
    44  including, but not limited to, interacting with persons presenting in an
    45  agitated condition;
    46    (h) prohibited uses of force;
    47    (i)  training  mandates  on  first-aid procedures including the use of
    48  tourniquets and QuikClot in addition to  annual  CPR  and  AED  training
    49  pursuant to section two hundred fourteen-e of this article;
    50    (j)  requirements  for  de-escalation  by members without compromising
    51  safety; and
    52    (k) guidelines for holding members accountable to use  sound  tactics,
    53  including,  but  not limited to, time, distance and cover, to reduce the
    54  need to use force.
    55    2. The division shall establish in conjunction with  the  division  of
    56  criminal  justice  services  and  regularly update a data collection and

        A. 8044                             6

     1  reporting system for the purpose of tracking all officer-involved deadly
     2  force encounters. Such deadly force encounters and uses of force result-
     3  ing in serious bodily injury shall also be reported  to  the  bureau  of
     4  criminal  apprehension  for inclusion in the FBI's national use-of-force
     5  database.
     6    § 9. Section 214-e of the executive law, as added by  chapter  271  of
     7  the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
     8    §  214-e.  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED training and retrain-
     9  ing. 1. For the purposes  of  this  section,  "cardiopulmonary  resusci-
    10  tation"  shall  have  the same meaning as provided in subdivision six of
    11  section six hundred twenty-one of the general  business  law  and  "AED"
    12  shall mean automated external defibrillator.
    13    2. Each member of the division of state police shall be:
    14    (a)  trained  in  cardiopulmonary  resuscitation and the use of an AED
    15  during the training process to become a trooper;
    16    (b) retrained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of  an  AED
    17  every [two years] year; and
    18    (c) required to demonstrate the satisfactory completion of training in
    19  cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an AED.
    20    § 10. Subdivision 1 of section 214-f of the executive law, as added by
    21  section  5  of  part JJ of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018, is amended to
    22  read as follows:
    23    1. Develop, maintain and disseminate, in consultation with the commis-
    24  sioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities  and  in
    25  consultation  with individuals with developmental, physical or intellec-
    26  tual disabilities,  written  policies  and  procedures  consistent  with
    27  section 13.43 of the mental hygiene law, regarding the handling of emer-
    28  gency situations involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and
    29  other  developmental,  physical or intellectual disabilities. Such poli-
    30  cies and procedures shall make provisions for the education and training
    31  of new and veteran police officers on the handling  of  emergency  situ-
    32  ations involving individuals with developmental, physical or intellectu-
    33  al disabilities; and
    34    §  11.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.49
    35  to read as follows:
    36  § 7.49 Law enforcement peer support.
    37    (a) The commissioner, in conjunction  with  the  commissioner  of  the
    38  division  of  criminal  justice  services  and the superintendent of the
    39  division of state police, shall develop and establish regional or county
    40  based peer support services programs for  all  police  officers  in  the
    41  state.  Services  provided  by  the recognized or certified peer support
    42  services program shall include, but not be limited to,  peer  counseling
    43  techniques  for mental illness including post-traumatic stress disorder,
    44  critical incident stress management, alcohol and substance  abuse  coun-
    45  seling, family support services, domestic violence, mental health, child
    46  care, physical health and wellness, and legal issues.
    47    (b) The commissioner shall foster programs for the training and devel-
    48  opment  of  persons  capable of providing the services set forth in this
    49  section, including, but not limited to, a  process  of  issuing,  either
    50  directly  or  through  contract, credentials for recognized or certified
    51  peer counselors in accordance with the following:
    52    (1) The office shall establish minimum qualifications  for  recognized
    53  or  certified  peer  counselors in all phases of delivery of services to
    54  officers who are evaluated and certified or recognized by the department
    55  on factors including, but not limited to, completion of approved courses
    56  of study or equivalent on-the-job experience in mental health counseling

        A. 8044                             7

     1  and/or alcoholism and substance abuse counseling  or  other  credentials
     2  established or recognized by the department and/or the division of crim-
     3  inal justice services and the division of state police; and
     4    (2)  The  office  shall  establish procedures for issuing, directly or
     5  through contract, credentials to  certified  peer  counselors  who  meet
     6  minimum  qualifications,  and  shall  further  establish  procedures  to
     7  suspend, revoke, or annul such credentials for good cause.
     8    § 12. This act shall take effect immediately.
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