NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5919

Senate Bill S5919

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Permits municipalities, schools and fire and police departments to display and sell symbols of hope

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 04, 2025	referred to local government

2025-S5919 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Local Government
Law Section:: General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§99-aa & 209-ggg, Gen Muni L; add §1527-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7036
2023-2024: S4241

2025-S5919 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Permits municipal corporations, fire districts, volunteer fire companies, police departments and school districts to sell and display symbols of hope in support of law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, the military, border patrol, firefighters, conservation officers and others.

2025-S5919 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5919

SPONSOR: WEIK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general municipal law and the education law, in
relation to symbols of hope

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure that municipalities, fire districts, volunteer fire companies,
police departments, and school districts are able to display "symbols of
hope" including a thin blue line in support of law enforcement, a thin
red line in support of the fire service, a thin gray line in support of
corrections officers, a thin white line in support of EMS professionals,
a thin purple line in support of security professionals, a thin yellow
line in support of dispatchers, and a thin green line in support of
military and conservation.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section 99-aa to the general municipal law to

permit municipal corporations to sell or display symbols of hope or any
similar image, or tangible personal property, inscribed with such image.
Section 1 further describes what a "symbol of hope" is defined as.

Section 2 adds a new section 209-ggg to the general municipal law to
permit a fire district, volunteer fire company, or police department to
sell or display any symbols of hope or any similar image, or tangible
personal property, inscribed with such image. Section 2 further
describes what a "symbol of hope" is defined as.

Section 3 adds a new section 1527-b to the education law to permit a
school district to sell or display any symbols of hope or any similar
image, or tangible personal property, inscribed with such image.

Section 3 further describes what a "symbol of hope" is defined as.

Section 4 sets forth an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Over the past several years, certain symbols, which are typically
affixed to a flag, have been established to show support for first
responders and associated personnel. The "thin blue line" has tradi-
tionally been associated with supporting law enforcement personnel and a
"thin red line" has traditionally been associated with supporting the
fire service. A number of other color-associated lines have been estab-
lished to associate with supporting corrections officers, EMS profes-
sionals, security professionals, the military, dispatchers, and conser-
vation officers. The supporters of those individuals, and the groups
themselves, should be able to freely show their support by displaying
these symbols of hope.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023: S4241 Local Government

2022: S7036 Local Government
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2025-S5919 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5919
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEIK  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law  and  the  education  law,  in
   relation to symbols of hope
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general municipal  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 99-aa to read as follows:
   §  99-AA. SYMBOLS OF HOPE.  A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION SHALL BE PERMITTED
 TO SELL OR DISPLAY SYMBOLS OF HOPE OR ANY  SIMILAR  IMAGE,  OR  TANGIBLE
 PERSONAL  PROPERTY,  INSCRIBED WITH SUCH AN IMAGE.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE TERM "SYMBOLS OF HOPE" SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED
 TO,  A  THIN BLUE LINE IN SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, A THIN RED LINE IN
 SUPPORT OF THE FIRE SERVICE, A THIN GRAY LINE IN SUPPORT OF  CORRECTIONS
 OFFICERS,  A  THIN  WHITE  LINE  IN SUPPORT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROFES-
 SIONALS, A THIN PURPLE LINE IN SUPPORT OF SECURITY PROFESSIONALS, A THIN
 YELLOW LINE IN SUPPORT OF DISPATCHERS, AND A THIN GREEN LINE IN  SUPPORT
 OF MILITARY, BORDER PATROL AND CONSERVATION OFFICERS.
   §  2.  The  general  municipal  law is amended by adding a new section
 209-ggg to read as follows:
   § 209-GGG. SYMBOLS OF HOPE.  A FIRE DISTRICT, VOLUNTEER FIRE  COMPANY,
 OR  POLICE  DEPARTMENT SHALL BE PERMITTED TO SELL OR DISPLAY ANY SYMBOLS
 OF HOPE OR ANY SIMILAR IMAGE, OR TANGIBLE PERSONAL  PROPERTY,  INSCRIBED
 WITH  SUCH AN IMAGE.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "SYMBOLS OF
 HOPE" SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, A THIN BLUE LINE IN  SUPPORT
 OF  LAW  ENFORCEMENT,  A THIN RED LINE IN SUPPORT OF THE FIRE SERVICE, A
 THIN GRAY LINE IN SUPPORT OF CORRECTIONS OFFICERS, A THIN WHITE LINE  IN
 SUPPORT  OF  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  PROFESSIONALS,  A  THIN  PURPLE LINE IN
 SUPPORT OF SECURITY PROFESSIONALS, A THIN  YELLOW  LINE  IN  SUPPORT  OF
 DISPATCHERS, AND A THIN GREEN LINE IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY, BORDER PATROL
 AND CONSERVATION OFFICERS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05387-01-5

 S. 5919                             2
 
   §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 1527-b to
 read as follows:
   §  1527-B.  SYMBOLS OF HOPE.   A SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL BE PERMITTED TO
 SELL OR DISPLAY ANY SYMBOLS OF HOPE OR ANY SIMILAR  IMAGE,  OR  TANGIBLE
 PERSONAL  PROPERTY,  INSCRIBED WITH SUCH AN IMAGE.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE TERM "SYMBOLS OF HOPE" SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED
 TO,  A  THIN BLUE LINE IN SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, A THIN RED LINE IN
 SUPPORT OF THE FIRE SERVICE, A THIN GRAY LINE IN SUPPORT OF  CORRECTIONS
 OFFICERS,  A  THIN  WHITE  LINE  IN SUPPORT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROFES-
 SIONALS, A THIN PURPLE LINE IN SUPPORT OF SECURITY PROFESSIONALS, A THIN
 YELLOW LINE IN SUPPORT OF DISPATCHERS, AND A THIN GREEN LINE IN  SUPPORT
 OF MILITARY, BORDER PATROL AND CONSERVATION OFFICERS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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