S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4424
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 4, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to  requiring  state  and
   local law enforcement officers to identify themselves to the public
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Declaration of legislative intent and findings. The  legis-
 lature  finds that the people of the state of New York are in great debt
 to the hard work and  dedication  of  police  officers  in  their  daily
 duties.  The  legislature further finds that mistrust of law enforcement
 officers based on real or perceived discrimination hinders law  enforce-
 ment  efforts and is a threat to public safety. New York state and local
 police policy already requires that officers wear shields and nameplates
 at all times while in uniform, and that they provide their  rank,  name,
 shield number and command when asked.
   In  adopting this act, it is the intent of the legislature to increase
 transparency in police practices and to build trust between police offi-
 cers and members of the public by providing the public  with  notice  of
 the  reasons  behind  their  encounters  with  the police, and a written
 record of their interactions with the police in situations that  do  not
 result in an arrest or summons.
   § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 13-B to read
 as follows:
                               ARTICLE 13-B
        IDENTIFICATION OF STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
 SECTION 268. DEFINITIONS.
         269. IDENTIFICATION OF STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
   §  268. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1.  "LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY" SHALL MEAN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING  ACTIV-
 ITIES WHEN CONDUCTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS:

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

                                                            LBD09177-01-1

 S. 4424                             2
 
   A. NONCUSTODIAL QUESTIONING OF INDIVIDUALS;
   B. PEDESTRIAN STOPS;
   C. FRISKS;
   D. SEARCHES OF INDIVIDUALS' PERSONS, PROPERTY, OR POSSESSIONS (INCLUD-
 ING VEHICLES);
   E. TRAFFIC STOPS;
   F. ROADBLOCK OR CHECKPOINT STOPS;
   G. HOME SEARCHES; AND
   H. CONTACT WITH POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF AND WITNESSES TO CRIMES.
   2.  "NONCUSTODIAL QUESTIONING" SHALL MEAN BOTH THE ROUTINE, INVESTIGA-
 TORY QUESTIONING OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE QUESTIONING  OF  SUSPECTS  WHERE
 SUCH  INDIVIDUALS OR SUSPECTS HAVE NOT BEEN DETAINED AND ARE FREE TO END
 THE ENCOUNTER AT WILL.
   § 269. IDENTIFICATION OF STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.  1.
 UPON  INITIATION  OF  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  ACTIVITY,  STATE  AND  LOCAL LAW
 ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AS DEFINED IN THIS ARTICLE SHALL:
   A. IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO THE SUBJECT OR SUBJECTS OF THE LAW  ENFORCE-
 MENT ACTIVITY BY PROVIDING THEIR FULL NAME, RANK AND COMMAND; AND
   B. PROVIDE THE SPECIFIC REASON FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
   C.  AT THE CONCLUSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY THAT DOES NOT RESULT
 IN AN ARREST OR SUMMONS, THE SUBJECT OR SUBJECTS OF THE LAW  ENFORCEMENT
 ACTIVITY  SHALL  BE PROVIDED WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER'S BUSINESS
 CARD, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM THE NAME, RANK, AND  COMMAND  OF
 THE OFFICER.
   2. PARAGRAPHS A, B, AND C OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT
 APPLY  WHERE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IS NOT IN UNIFORM AND IDENTIFICA-
 TION OF THE OFFICER WOULD COMPROMISE THE IMMEDIATE SAFETY OF THE  PUBLIC
 OR  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICERS OR WOULD SERIOUSLY COMPROMISE A SPECIFIC,
 ONGOING LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION.
   § 3. Severability.   If any clause, sentence,  paragraph,  section  or
 part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdic-
 tion to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate
 the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in  its  operation  to  the
 clause,  sentence,  paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved
 in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.