Add §214-j, Exec L; add §208-i, amd §204-d, Gen Muni L; add §155-a, Town L; add §22-b, Cor L; amd §3002, Pub
Health L
Requires the inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the basic training and pre-employment course curricula for state police officers and municipal police officers and sheriffs, members of fire departments and companies, corrections officers, first responders, emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical technicians.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5501
SPONSOR: Buttenschon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, the general municipal law and the
town law, in relation to requiring the inclusion of diversity and inclu-
sion training in the basic training and pre-employment course curric-
ulums for state police officers and municipal police officers and sher-
iffs; to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring the
inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the basic training and
pre-employment course curricula for members of fire departments and
companies; to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring the
inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the basic training and
pre-employment course curricula for correction officers; and to amend
the public health law, in relation to requiring the inclusion of diver-
sity and inclusion training in the basic training and pre-employment
course curricula for career first responders, emergency medical techni-
cians and advanced emergency medical technicians
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation would mandate all first responder training courses
including those for municipal police officers, State Police, corrections
officers, firefighters, and EMS) to require that five percent of the
overall content and courses required for these professions consist of
diversity and inclusion training. These trainings should specifically
focus on biases related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
religion, age, and disability, special needs, among others.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Sections 1 adds a new section 214-g to the executive law requiring the
Superintendent of the State Police to establish policies and procedures
requiring training courses for the New York State Police to include
training in the areas of diversity and inclusion, including specific
training pertaining to sensitivity to issues of race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, religion, age, and disability, special needs, among
others. The section also sets forth that training curricula on this
matter will not comprise less than five percent of the course curric-
ulum.
Sections 2-6 adds a section to the general municipal law, the town law,
the correction law, and the public health law mandating municipal police
officers, firefighters, corrections officers, first responders, emergen-
cy medical technicians and advanced emergency medical technicians train-
ing courses implement the same training requirements as found in section
214-g of the executive law.
Section 7 sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, the various state agencies that oversee training courses only
require minimal hours of diversity and inclusion training throughout the
entire course. This means that these individuals could spend as little .
as 1 percent of their training focused on issues related to race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, special needs and
disability. According to a 2016 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of
Justice Statics bulletin: "State and Local Law Enforcement Training
Academies, 2013", police officers typically receive about 131 hours on
firearm skills and self-defense; 40 hours on community policing strate-
gies (up from 8 hours in 2006); but only 12 hours on cultural diversity
and human relations and 9 hours on mediation and conflict management.
Additional training will not only assist in handling racial biases, but
countless other situations that our first responders and corrections
officers find themselves in during their careers, including mental
health crises, interactions with the LGBTQ community, and domestic and
sexual abuse cases, as a few examples.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: A.7449 - Referred to Governmental Operations / S.1211 Passed
Senate
2021-2022: A.1184 - Referred to Governmental Operations / S.341 Referred
to Finance
2019-2020: A.10601 - Referred to Governmental Operations / S.8579
Referred to Rules
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act Shall take effect immediately.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5501
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the general municipal law and the
town law, in relation to requiring the inclusion of diversity and
inclusion training in the basic training and pre-employment course
curriculums for state police officers and municipal police officers
and sheriffs; to amend the general municipal law, in relation to
requiring the inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the
basic training and pre-employment course curricula for members of fire
departments and companies; to amend the correction law, in relation to
requiring the inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the
basic training and pre-employment course curricula for correction
officers; and to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring
the inclusion of diversity and inclusion training in the basic train-
ing and pre-employment course curricula for career first responders,
emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical techni-
cians
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-j
2 to read as follows:
3 § 214-j. Training. 1. The superintendent shall establish policies and
4 procedures requiring that state police basic training and pre-employment
5 course curricula include training in the areas of diversity and inclu-
6 sion, including training pertaining to appropriate sensitivity to issues
7 of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age and disa-
8 bilities. Such training shall comprise not less than five percent of the
9 basic training and pre-employment course training curricula. Diversity
10 training shall be provided by an accredited educator and/or accredi-
11 tation body.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02186-02-5
A. 5501 2
1 2. The accreditation body shall provide information pertaining to such
2 policies and procedures to municipal law enforcement agencies and
3 departments, fire departments, the department of corrections and commu-
4 nity supervision and the department of health for implementation of such
5 curricula by such agencies and departments.
6 3. The superintendent of the state police shall promulgate rules and
7 regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.
8 § 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section
9 208-i to read as follows:
10 § 208-i. Mandatory police officer diversity training. The chief offi-
11 cer of every police department and sheriff's office in the state shall
12 establish and implement basic training and pre-employment course curric-
13 ula for all members of such office or department and for all current and
14 new officer employees in accordance with the diversity policies and
15 procedures established pursuant to section two hundred fourteen-j of the
16 executive law.
17 § 3. Section 204-d of the general municipal law, as amended by section
18 44 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
19 follows:
20 § 204-d. Duties of the fire chief. 1. The fire chief of any fire
21 department or company shall, in addition to any other duties assigned to
22 [him] such fire chief by law or contract, to the extent reasonably
23 possible determine or cause to be determined the cause of each fire or
24 explosion which the fire department or company has been called to
25 suppress. [He] Such fire chief shall file with the office of fire
26 prevention and control a report containing such determination and any
27 additional information required by such office regarding the fire or
28 explosion. The report shall be in the form designated by such office.
29 [He] Such fire chief shall contact or cause to be contacted the appro-
30 priate investigatory authority if [he] such fire chief has reason to
31 believe the fire or explosion is of incendiary or suspicious origin. For
32 all fires that are suspected to have been ignited by a cigarette, within
33 fourteen days after completing the investigation into such fire, the
34 fire chief shall forward to the office of fire prevention and control
35 information detailing, to the extent possible: (a) the specific brand
36 and style of the cigarette suspected of having ignited such fire; (b)
37 whether the cigarette package was marked as required by subdivision six
38 of section one hundred fifty-six-c of the executive law; and (c) the
39 location and manner in which such cigarette was purchased.
40 2. The fire chief of any fire department or company in the state shall
41 establish and implement basic training and pre-employment course curric-
42 ula for all members of such fire department or company and for all
43 current and new employees in accordance with the diversity policies and
44 procedures established pursuant to section two hundred fourteen-j of the
45 executive law.
46 § 4. The town law is amended by adding a new section 155-a to read as
47 follows:
48 § 155-a. Mandatory police officer diversity training. The chief offi-
49 cer of every police department in the state shall establish and imple-
50 ment basic training and pre-employment course curricula for all members
51 of such office and for all current and new officer employees in accord-
52 ance with the diversity policies and procedures established pursuant to
53 section two hundred fourteen-j of the executive law.
54 § 5. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 22-b to
55 read as follows:
A. 5501 3
1 § 22-b. Mandatory correction officer diversity training. The commis-
2 sioner shall establish and implement basic training and pre-employment
3 course curricula for all members of the department and for all current
4 and new officer employees in accordance with the diversity policies and
5 procedures established pursuant to section two hundred fourteen-j of the
6 executive law.
7 § 6. Section 3002 of the public health law is amended by adding a new
8 subdivision 2-c to read as follows:
9 2-c. The commissioner, in consultation with the state emergency
10 medical services council, shall establish and implement basic training
11 and pre-employment course curricula for all current career first respon-
12 ders, emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical tech-
13 nicians and for all new first responders, emergency medical technicians
14 and advanced emergency medical technicians in accordance with the diver-
15 sity policies and procedures established pursuant to section two hundred
16 fourteen-j of the executive law.
17 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
