Establishes law enforcement officer grant funds and firefighter grant funds to cover expenses related to hiring law enforcement officers and firefighters and equipment and resources for such officers and firefighters.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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6786--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
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 -- recommitted to the Committee on
Codes in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
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:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "public safety investment act".
3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
4 as follows:
5 § 844. Law enforcement officer grant funds. 1. Within amounts appro-
6 priated for such purpose, in the years two thousand twenty-seven, two
7 thousand twenty-eight and two thousand twenty-nine, one hundred fifty
8 million dollars shall be available and allocated each year pursuant to
9 subdivisions two and three of this section and shall be paid to cover
10 all expenses related to hiring law enforcement officers, including any
11 benefits provided to such officers through employment with their respec-
12 tive law enforcement agency.
13 2. One hundred twelve million five hundred thousand dollars of the
14 funds allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be
15 available to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of hiring new
16 police officers or rehiring police officers who have been laid off,
17 hiring members of the armed forces to serve as law enforcement officers
18 in crime prevention, and supporting non-hiring initiatives, such as
19 training law enforcement officers in crime prevention, community polic-
20 ing techniques, and developing technologies that support crime
21 prevention strategies. Eligible law enforcement agencies shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08633-02-6
S. 6786--A 2
1 eligible for up to ninety percent of the costs associated with such
2 hiring or non-hiring initiatives; provided, however that such law
3 enforcement agencies shall commit to employing such officers for at
4 least five years, retaining such officers for at least two additional
5 years after the three years of grant funding expires.
6 3. Thirty-seven million five hundred thousand dollars of the funds
7 allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be available
8 to law enforcement agencies for the purchase of equipment, such as
9 firearms, riot gear, and protective vests; provided, however, that such
10 grant funds shall not be expended on the purchase or maintenance of
11 police cruisers or other vehicles used by law enforcement agencies.
12 4. The commissioner, in cooperation with the attorney general and the
13 superintendent of state police, shall establish eligibility criteria and
14 the application process for the grants provided for pursuant to this
15 section. Grant information and application forms shall be made avail-
16 able through the New York state grants gateway.
17 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 158-a to
18 read as follows:
19 § 158-a. Firefighter grant funds. 1. Within amounts appropriated for
20 such purpose, in the years two thousand twenty-seven, two thousand twen-
21 ty-eight and two thousand twenty-nine, one hundred fifty million dollars
22 shall be available and allocated each year pursuant to subdivisions two
23 and three of this section and shall be paid to cover all expenses
24 related to hiring firefighters, including any benefits provided to such
25 firefighters through employment with their respective fire department.
26 2. One hundred twelve million five hundred thousand dollars of the
27 funds allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be
28 available to fire departments for the purchase of equipment.
29 3. Thirty-seven million five hundred thousand dollars of the funds
30 allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be available
31 to fire departments for the purpose of hiring new firefighters or rehir-
32 ing firefighters who have been laid off and supporting non-hiring initi-
33 atives, such as training firefighters in fire prevention and developing
34 technologies that support firefighting strategies. Eligible fire depart-
35 ments shall be eligible for up to ninety percent of the costs associated
36 with such hiring or non-hiring initiatives; provided, however that such
37 fire departments shall commit to employing such firefighters for at
38 least five years, retaining such firefighters for at least two addi-
39 tional years after the three years of grant funding expires.
40 4. The state fire administrator shall establish eligibility criteria
41 and the application process for the grants provided for pursuant to this
42 section. Grant information and application forms shall be made available
43 through the New York state grants gateway.
44 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
