S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9467
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 14, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Judiciary
 
 AN ACT to amend the uniform justice court act, the  judiciary  law,  and
   the  criminal procedure law, in relation to providing for the presence
   of either a uniformed court officer or law enforcement officer  during
   court proceedings

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 109 of the uniform justice court act is amended  by
 adding a new closing paragraph to read as follows:
   PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL,
 UPON REQUEST BY THE MUNICIPALITY, ENSURE THE ASSIGNMENT AND PRESENCE  OF
 A UNIFORMED COURT OFFICER DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS. IF A UNIFORMED COURT
 OFFICER IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL BE
 RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING AND ENSURING THE PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCE-
 MENT  OFFICIAL  DURING  SUCH  COURT  PROCEEDINGS. POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
 WHICH PROVIDE SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE  COURTS  SHALL  BE  ENTITLED  TO
 REIMBURSEMENT  FROM THE STATE. NO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FACILITATING THE
 PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN LIEU OF A UNIFORMED COURT OFFI-
 CER SHALL BE INCURRED BY THE MUNICIPALITY.
   § 2. Section 216 of the judiciary law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 7 to read as follows:
   7.  THE  CHIEF  ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL, UPON REQUEST BY THE
 MUNICIPALITY, ENSURE THE ASSIGNMENT AND PRESENCE OF  A  UNIFORMED  COURT
 OFFICER  DURING  COURT  PROCEEDINGS. IF A UNIFORMED COURT OFFICER IS NOT
 AVAILABLE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS  SHALL  BE  RESPONSIBLE
 FOR COORDINATING AND ENSURING THE PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL
 DURING SUCH COURT PROCEEDINGS.
   §  3. Subdivision 2 of section 849-h of the judiciary law, as added by
 chapter 280 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
   2. Funds available pursuant to  this  article  may  be  used  for  any
 purpose  having as its end enhancement of the justice courts' ability to
 provide suitable and sufficient services to  their  respective  communi-
 ties.  These  purposes  may  include, but shall not be limited to, COSTS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14670-01-4
 A. 9467                             2
 
 ASSOCIATED WITH HIRING NONJUDICIAL COURT SECURITY  OR  REIMBURSEMENT  OF
 COSTS  FOR UTILIZING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES; automation of court
 operations; improvement or expansion of court facilities;  provision  of
 appropriate  means  for the recording of court proceedings; provision of
 lawbooks, treatises and related materials; and provision of  appropriate
 training  for  justices  and  for nonjudicial court staff. Except as may
 otherwise be provided by rule of the chief administrator,  funds  avail-
 able  pursuant  to this article shall not be used to compensate justices
 [and nonjudicial court staff], nor shall they be  used  as  a  means  of
 reducing funding provided by a town or village to its justice court.
   §  4.  Subdivision 4 of section 849-i of the judiciary law, as amended
 by chapter 127 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
   4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the chief administrator
 shall not approve any application for funding in excess of [thirty]  TWO
 HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  thousand dollars unless such application is a joint
 application and the aggregate funding sought thereunder does not  exceed
 an  amount equaling the product of the number of joint applicants making
 such application and [thirty] TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY thousand dollars.
   § 5. Subdivision 1 of section 219-b of the judiciary law, as added  by
 chapter 548 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  There  shall be established a New York state court officer academy
 (hereinafter referred to in this section as the "academy"). This academy
 shall serve as a center for the provision of education and  training  to
 New  York  state  court officers and other non-judicial employees of the
 New York state courts. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION, NEW  YORK  STATE
 COURT OFFICERS SHALL INCLUDE COURT OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO OR EMPLOYED BY A
 UNIFIED JUSTICE COURT.
   §  6.  Paragraph  a  of subdivision 21 of section 2.10 of the criminal
 procedure law, as added by chapter 843 of the laws of 1980,  is  amended
 to read as follows:
   a.  Uniformed  court  officers [of the unified court system], WHO HAVE
 RECEIVED AND COMPLETED TRAINING AT THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  COURT  OFFICER
 ACADEMY.
   § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.