Bill Text: NY S03150 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Requires the municipal police training council and the division of state police to develop policies and procedures for police officers to notify family members in-person of a relative's death in certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-08-17 - SIGNED CHAP.531 [S03150 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S03150-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3150--A Cal. No. 238 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 27, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, PARKER, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Trans- portation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in accord- ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to policies and proce- dures regarding death notifications The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 840 of the executive law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 7 to read as follows: 3 7. The council shall, in addition: 4 (a) Develop, maintain and disseminate, in collaboration with the 5 office of victim services, a model law enforcement death notification 6 policy setting forth recommended policies and procedures regarding 7 in-person death notifications to a deceased individual's next of kin. 8 Such policies and procedures shall make provisions for education and 9 training of current and new police officers in the planning, prepara- 10 tion, and delivery of in-person death notifications, including but not 11 limited to, policies and procedures for: 12 (i) the identification of the deceased individual, the collection of 13 accurate information regarding the deceased individual, and the iden- 14 tification of the deceased individual's next of kin; and 15 (ii) the actual delivery of in-person death notifications to the 16 deceased's next of kin within twenty-four hours following the identifi- 17 cation of such individual; provided, however, such policies and proce- 18 dures shall provide that, in the event that an in-person death notifica- 19 tion cannot be provided to the deceased individual's next of kin within EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07720-03-2S. 3150--A 2 1 such timeframe, the failure or delay of such notification shall be docu- 2 mented and such notification shall instead be made as soon as practica- 3 ble. 4 (b) Recommend to the governor rules and regulations with respect to 5 the establishment and implementation on an ongoing basis of a training 6 program for all current and new police officers regarding the policies 7 and procedures established pursuant to this subdivision, along with 8 recommendations for periodic retraining of police officers. 9 (c) Disseminate the model law enforcement death notification policy 10 promulgated in accordance with this subdivision to all police depart- 11 ments in this state and develop a model training program for all current 12 and new police officers regarding the policies and procedures estab- 13 lished pursuant to such subdivision. 14 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-h to 15 read as follows: 16 § 214-h. Model law enforcement death notification policy. The super- 17 intendent, in collaboration with the office of victim services, shall, 18 for all members of the division of state police: 19 1. Develop, maintain and disseminate a model law enforcement death 20 notification policy setting forth recommended policies and procedures 21 regarding in-person death notifications to a deceased individual's next 22 of kin. Such policies and procedures shall make provisions for education 23 and training of current and new police officers in the planning, prepa- 24 ration, and delivery of in-person death notifications, including but not 25 limited to, policies and procedures for: 26 (a) the identification of the deceased individual, the collection of 27 accurate information regarding the deceased individual, and the iden- 28 tification of the deceased individual's next of kin; and 29 (b) the actual delivery of in-person death notifications to the 30 deceased individual's next of kin within twenty-four hours following the 31 identification of such individual; provided, however, such policies and 32 procedures shall provide that, in the event that an in-person death 33 notification cannot be provided to the deceased individual's next of kin 34 within such timeframe, the failure or delay of such notification shall 35 be documented and such notification shall instead be made as soon as 36 practicable. 37 2. Recommend to the governor rules and regulations with respect to the 38 establishment and implementation on an ongoing basis of a training 39 program for all current and new police officers regarding the policies 40 and procedures established pursuant to this section, along with recom- 41 mendations for periodic retraining of police officers. 42 3. Disseminate the model law enforcement death notification policy 43 promulgated in accordance with this section to all members of the state 44 police and develop a model training program for all current and new 45 police officers regarding the policies and procedures established pursu- 46 ant to such section. 47 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 48 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 49 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 50 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 51 completed on or before such effective date.