Requires state and municipal police academy course training in the recognition and handling of matters involving human trafficking; requires public transportation authorities and contractors to provide training in the recognition and handling of matters involving human trafficking.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9170
IN SENATE
February 10, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requisite training
instruction for police officers for crimes involving human traffick-
ing; and to amend the transportation law, in relation to requisite
training for entities providing public transportation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 214-d of the executive law, as added by chapter
2 368 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 214-d. Human trafficking awareness. The superintendent, in consulta-
4 tion with the office of temporary and disability assistance and the
5 division of criminal justice services, shall:
6 [(1) develop] 1. Develop, maintain and disseminate to all members of
7 the state police, including new and veteran officers, written policies,
8 procedures and educational materials relating to human trafficking
9 victims, including services available for victims of human trafficking,
10 as referenced in section four hundred eighty-three-bb of the social
11 services law; and
12 [(2) establish] 2. Establish and implement written procedures and
13 policies in the event a member of the division of state police encount-
14 ers an individual believed to be a victim of human trafficking, which
15 shall include, but not be limited to, the provision of information
16 and/or referral to an appropriate provider of social and legal services
17 to human trafficking victims, in accordance with [such] section four
18 hundred eighty-three-bb of the social services law; and
19 3. Consult with the municipal police training council regarding the
20 development of police training courses related to the handling, response
21 procedures, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
22 § 2. Subdivision 8 of section 840 of the executive law, as added by
23 chapter 632 of the laws of 2025 is renumbered subdivision 9 and a new
24 subdivision 10 is added to read as follows:
25 10. The council shall, in consultation with the superintendent of the
26 state police, develop policies and procedures requiring training and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14414-02-6
S. 9170 2
1 instruction for all police officers with respect to crimes involving
2 human trafficking and regarding the handling of situations involving
3 individuals who appear to be victims of human trafficking. Such policies
4 and procedures shall make provisions for the education and training of
5 new and veteran police officers. Such training and education shall focus
6 on appropriate recognition and response techniques for handling matters
7 involving victims of human trafficking, including, but not be limited to
8 a demonstration of and information regarding known signs and signals
9 that may be used or communicated by victims of human trafficking seeking
10 assistance or may be observed by individuals in public spaces, under-
11 standing abuse trauma and psychological issues confronted by such crime
12 victims, common attributes of offenders, fair treatment standards for
13 crime victims pursuant to article twenty-three of this chapter, evidence
14 gathering and preservation issues, interview techniques and information
15 concerning the availability of local services for the victims of such
16 crimes. These courses shall be reviewed at least once every two years
17 and modified from time to time as need may require. All new officers
18 shall receive such training and instruction, as part of the basic
19 curriculum at the state police academy or at municipal police academies,
20 as applicable. Such required training for current officers shall be
21 completed within thirty-six months of the effective date of this subdi-
22 vision; provided however it shall be completed within twenty-four months
23 of the effective date of this subdivision in a city with a population of
24 one million or more.
25 § 3. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 14-o to
26 read as follows:
27 § 14-o. Human trafficking recognition and training program. 1. For
28 purposes of this section, "public transportation authority" shall mean
29 each transportation authority or transit authority subject to the
30 provisions of the public authorities law or the provisions of this chap-
31 ter, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any
32 authority operated by a bi-state authority.
33 2. (a) Every public transportation authority shall require all employ-
34 ees of the public transportation authority, and all employees or opera-
35 tors of private entities under contract to a public transportation
36 authority to provide regular route service, who are likely to interact
37 or come into contact with guests or riders to undergo a human traffick-
38 ing recognition training program to provide training in the recognition
39 of a human trafficking victim as defined in section four hundred eight-
40 y-three-aa of the social services law. Such training program shall be
41 established or approved by the division of criminal justice services and
42 the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with
43 the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking. The
44 training program may be developed by a federal, state, or non-profit
45 organization, and may be incorporated as part of the public transporta-
46 tion authority's existing training programs or may be provided by organ-
47 izations or providers identified by the commissioner of the division of
48 criminal justice services or the commissioner of the office of temporary
49 and disability assistance, provided that the training includes all of
50 the requirements of this section. Established or approved training
51 programs may be made available through methods including, but not limit-
52 ed to, in-person instruction, electronic and video communication, or
53 online programs.
54 (b) The commissioner, at the commissioner's discretion, may waive the
55 training requirements of this section for a private entity under
56 contract to the corporation to provide regular route service if the
S. 9170 3
1 private entity requires its employees or operators to complete an equal
2 or greater training course on the handling and response procedures for
3 suspected human trafficking activities.
4 3.(a) Any human trafficking recognition training program established
5 or approved by the division of criminal justice services and the office
6 of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with the New York
7 state interagency task force on human trafficking as required in this
8 section shall address no less than the following issues:
9 (i) the nature of human trafficking;
10 (ii) how human trafficking is defined in law;
11 (iii) how to identify victims of human trafficking; and
12 (iv) who to contact, such as the national human trafficking hotline,
13 which connects victims of human trafficking to:
14 (A) relief and recovery options; and
15 (B) social and legal services.
16 (b) The training course shall be reviewed at least once every two
17 years and modified as needed by the commissioner and the approved non-
18 profit course provider, as appropriate.
19 4. (a) Each public transportation company shall be responsible for
20 ensuring that all required current employees and all employees or opera-
21 tors of private entities under contract to a public transportation
22 authority to provide regular route service complete the training course.
23 Persons employed on the effective date of this section must complete the
24 training within two years of the effective date of this section. Train-
25 ing for employees who commence employment after the effective date of
26 this section must complete the training within six months of the
27 commencement of employment.
28 (b) If an approved non-profit course provider is involved in providing
29 the training course to new employees who initially commence employment
30 after the effective date of this section, the non-profit course provider
31 shall provide the training course at least once every six months in
32 order for the employees to meet the six-month training deadline.
33 (c) Each contract entered into after the effective date of this
34 section between a public transportation authority and a private entity
35 to provide regular route service shall include a requirement that opera-
36 tors of the private entity that provides regular route service under
37 such contract shall attend the one-time training course, unless such
38 requirement is waived pursuant to the provisions of subdivision two of
39 this section; provided that the provision of this section shall not
40 apply to any current contract between a public transportation authority
41 and a private entity to provide regular route service that was entered
42 into prior to the effective date of this section.
43 5. The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services and
44 the commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance
45 shall make available a list online of established or approved human
46 trafficking recognition programs for use by public transportation
47 authorities and private entities under contract.
48 6. Each public transportation authority shall maintain records indi-
49 cating that each employee required to undergo an established or approved
50 human trafficking recognition training program pursuant to this section
51 has completed such training. Such records shall be kept on file by the
52 public transportation authority for the period during which the employee
53 is employed by the public transportation authority and for one year
54 after such employment ends.
55 § 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
56 law; provided that the amendments to subdivision 8 of section 840 of the
S. 9170 4
1 executive law made by section two of this act shall take effect on the
2 same date and in the same manner as section one of chapter 632 of the
3 laws of 2025 takes effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
4 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
5 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
6 completed on or before such effective date.
