STATE OF NEW YORK
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8435
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 11, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to retaining
certain security recordings for a minimum period of fifteen months
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and cited as the "safekeeping and
2 access to video evidence (SAVE) act".
3 § 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 54
4 to read as follows:
5 § 54. Retention of public security recordings by local governments. 1.
6 Any local government that operates public security cameras in public
7 spaces that are accessible to the general public, including but not
8 limited to streets, subways, transportation terminals, parks, stadiums,
9 government buildings, construction sites, hospitals, and other govern-
10 ment property, shall retain video recordings made by such cameras and
11 shall not erase or overwrite such recordings for a minimum period of
12 fifteen months from the date of recording.
13 2. Any local government that, in connection with the operation of a
14 police department, fire department, ambulance or healthcare service,
15 operates cameras that record interactions between public officials and
16 members of the public, shall retain such video recordings and shall not
17 erase or overwrite such recordings for a minimum period of fifteen
18 months from the date of recording.
19 3. If a local government has notice of a legal claim against such
20 local government, the local government shall retain such video
21 recordings and shall not erase or overwrite such recordings until either
22 the end of the litigation or fifteen months from the date of recording,
23 whichever comes later.
24 4. The video recordings shall be stored in a secure manner that
25 ensures their integrity and prevents unauthorized access, tampering,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11874-01-5
S. 8435 2
1 overwriting, or deletion before the expiration of the time periods set
2 forth in this section.
3 5. The video recordings shall be stored in a shared drive that is
4 accessible to officials who are responsible for responding to informa-
5 tion made pursuant to article six of the public officers law.
6 6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to: (a) prevent a muni-
7 cipality from retaining video recordings for a period longer than
8 fifteen months or for any purpose; (b) require a municipality to operate
9 security cameras or make video recordings in connection with any govern-
10 ment operation; or (c) require, allow, or prevent public access to any
11 recording in contradiction of any current law, rule or regulation or
12 court order.
13 7. This section shall not apply to any recording that is ordered by a
14 court to be deleted, destroyed, or redacted.
15 8. For purposes of this section, "local government" means any county,
16 city, town, village, school district, board of cooperative educational
17 services, local public benefit corporation or other municipal corpo-
18 ration or political subdivision of the state, or of such local govern-
19 ment, including any public authority operated in whole or in part by a
20 local government, within the state of New York.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
22 have become a law.
