Senate Bill S249

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to fines for false alarms by an alarm system

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-S249 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §69-l, add §69-vvv, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S6633
2023-2024: S5202

2025-S249 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to fines for false alarms by an alarm system; allows a municipality to enact, adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution or regulation requiring any alarm system company to pay for or be responsible for any fines, fees or other penalties relative to false alarms only when the false alarm is attributed to a deficiency in the alarm system or an error of the alarm system company or central station.

2025-S249 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S249 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    249
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. SKOUFIS, COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Consumer
   Protection
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to fines for false
   alarms by an alarm system

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 69-l of the general  business  law  is  amended  by
 adding four new subdivisions 6, 7, 8 and 9 to read as follows:
   6. "ALARM SYSTEM" MEANS A SYSTEM INSTALLED TO DETECT INTRUSION, BREAK-
 IN, MOVEMENT, SOUND OR FIRE.
   7. "FALSE ALARM" MEANS THE ACTIVATION OF ANY ALARM SYSTEM THAT RESULTS
 IN  A  REQUEST  FOR  POLICE  OR  FIRE  OR  OTHER EMERGENCY FOR WHICH THE
 RESPONDING PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF CRIMINAL  ACTIVITY,
 FIRE, OR EMERGENCY.
   8. "MUNICIPALITY" MEANS A COUNTY, TOWN, CITY OR VILLAGE.
   9.  "ALARM  SYSTEM  COMPANY" MEANS A COMPANY LICENSED TO ENGAGE IN THE
 BUSINESS OF INSTALLING, SERVICING, OR MAINTAINING SECURITY OR FIRE ALARM
 SYSTEMS PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. The general business law is  amended  by  adding  a  new  section
 69-vvv to read as follows:
   §  69-VVV.  FINES  FOR  FALSE  ALARMS.  1.   NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER
 PROVISION OF LAW, A MUNICIPALITY MAY ENACT, ADOPT OR ENFORCE  ANY  ORDI-
 NANCE,  RESOLUTION  OR  REGULATION REQUIRING ANY ALARM SYSTEM COMPANY TO
 PAY FOR OR BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY FINES, FEES OR OTHER  PENALTIES  RELA-
 TIVE  TO FALSE ALARMS ONLY WHEN THE FALSE ALARM IS ATTRIBUTED TO A DEFI-
 CIENCY IN THE ALARM SYSTEM OR AN ERROR OF THE ALARM  SYSTEM  COMPANY  OR
 CENTRAL  STATION.   NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PREVENT A MUNICIPALITY
 FROM IMPOSING ANY FINE, FEE OR OTHER PENALTIES FOR A  FALSE  ALARM  WHEN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00393-01-5

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