S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6786
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 24, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. GRIFFO, BORRELLO, GALLIVAN, HELMING, RHOADS, ROLI-
   SON, WALCZYK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
   committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to law enforcement  offi-
   cer and firefighter grant funds

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title.  This act shall be known and may be  cited  as
 the "public safety investment act".
   §  2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
 as follows:
   § 844. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER GRANT FUNDS. 1. WITHIN  AMOUNTS  APPRO-
 PRIATED  FOR  SUCH  PURPOSE,  IN  THE YEARS TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN AND TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT, ONE  HUNDRED  FIFTY
 MILLION  DOLLARS  SHALL BE AVAILABLE AND ALLOCATED EACH YEAR PURSUANT TO
 SUBDIVISIONS TWO AND THREE OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL BE  PAID  TO  COVER
 ALL  EXPENSES  RELATED TO HIRING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, INCLUDING ANY
 BENEFITS PROVIDED TO SUCH OFFICERS THROUGH EMPLOYMENT WITH THEIR RESPEC-
 TIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
   2. ONE HUNDRED TWELVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  OF  THE
 FUNDS  ALLOCATED  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 AVAILABLE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  HIRING  NEW
 POLICE  OFFICERS  OR  REHIRING  POLICE  OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN LAID OFF,
 HIRING MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO SERVE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT  OFFICERS
 IN  CRIME  PREVENTION,  AND  SUPPORTING  NON-HIRING INITIATIVES, SUCH AS
 TRAINING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY  POLIC-
 ING   TECHNIQUES,   AND   DEVELOPING  TECHNOLOGIES  THAT  SUPPORT  CRIME
 PREVENTION STRATEGIES.   ELIGIBLE  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  AGENCIES  SHALL  BE
 ELIGIBLE  FOR  UP  TO  NINETY  PERCENT OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH
 HIRING OR  NON-HIRING  INITIATIVES;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER  THAT  SUCH  LAW
 ENFORCEMENT  AGENCIES  SHALL  COMMIT  TO  EMPLOYING SUCH OFFICERS FOR AT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08633-01-5
              

 S. 6786                             2
 
 LEAST FIVE YEARS, RETAINING SUCH OFFICERS FOR AT  LEAST  TWO  ADDITIONAL
 YEARS AFTER THE THREE YEARS OF GRANT FUNDING EXPIRES.
   3.  THIRTY-SEVEN  MILLION  FIVE  HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THE FUNDS
 ALLOCATED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE AVAILABLE
 TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR  THE  PURCHASE  OF  EQUIPMENT,  SUCH  AS
 FIREARMS,  RIOT GEAR, AND PROTECTIVE VESTS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH
 GRANT FUNDS SHALL NOT BE EXPENDED ON  THE  PURCHASE  OR  MAINTENANCE  OF
 POLICE CRUISERS OR OTHER VEHICLES USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
   4.  THE COMMISSIONER, IN COOPERATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE
 SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE, SHALL ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND
 THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE GRANTS PROVIDED  FOR  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 SECTION.    GRANT INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FORMS SHALL BE MADE AVAIL-
 ABLE THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE GRANTS GATEWAY.
   § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  158-a  to
 read as follows:
   §  158-A.  FIREFIGHTER GRANT FUNDS. 1. WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR
 SUCH PURPOSE, IN THE YEARS TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, TWO  THOUSAND  TWEN-
 TY-SEVEN  AND  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-EIGHT,  ONE  HUNDRED  FIFTY MILLION
 DOLLARS SHALL BE AVAILABLE AND ALLOCATED EACH YEAR PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVI-
 SIONS  TWO  AND  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION AND SHALL BE PAID TO COVER ALL
 EXPENSES RELATED TO HIRING FIREFIGHTERS, INCLUDING ANY BENEFITS PROVIDED
 TO SUCH FIREFIGHTERS  THROUGH  EMPLOYMENT  WITH  THEIR  RESPECTIVE  FIRE
 DEPARTMENT.
   2.  ONE  HUNDRED  TWELVE  MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THE
 FUNDS ALLOCATED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE
 AVAILABLE TO FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT.
   3.  THIRTY-SEVEN  MILLION  FIVE  HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THE FUNDS
 ALLOCATED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE AVAILABLE
 TO FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIRING NEW FIREFIGHTERS OR REHIR-
 ING FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAVE BEEN LAID OFF AND SUPPORTING NON-HIRING INITI-
 ATIVES, SUCH AS TRAINING FIREFIGHTERS IN FIRE PREVENTION AND  DEVELOPING
 TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT FIREFIGHTING STRATEGIES. ELIGIBLE FIRE DEPART-
 MENTS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO NINETY PERCENT OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED
 WITH  SUCH HIRING OR NON-HIRING INITIATIVES; PROVIDED, HOWEVER THAT SUCH
 FIRE DEPARTMENTS SHALL COMMIT TO  EMPLOYING  SUCH  FIREFIGHTERS  FOR  AT
 LEAST  FIVE  YEARS,  RETAINING  SUCH FIREFIGHTERS FOR AT LEAST TWO ADDI-
 TIONAL YEARS AFTER THE THREE YEARS OF GRANT FUNDING EXPIRES.
   4. THE STATE FIRE ADMINISTRATOR SHALL ESTABLISH  ELIGIBILITY  CRITERIA
 AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE GRANTS PROVIDED FOR PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION. GRANT INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FORMS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE
 THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE GRANTS GATEWAY.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.