Relates to establishing an interagency task force on hate crimes and domestic terrorism; requires an annual report to the governor and leaders of the legislature including data gathered by the task force on the nature, extent, and incidence of hate crimes and domestic terrorism in the state and a summary of any recommendations developed over the year to strengthen state and local prevention efforts and any other information deemed necessary.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9669
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2020
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing an inter-
agency task force on hate crimes and domestic terrorism
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 234 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 234. Establishment of interagency task force on hate crimes and
4 domestic terrorism. 1. There is established an interagency task force on
5 hate crimes and domestic terrorism, which shall consist of the following
6 members or their designees: (a) the superintendent of state police; (b)
7 the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services; (c) the
8 commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency
9 services; (d) the director of the office of victim services; (e) the
10 director of the division of human rights; (f) one member, who shall be
11 appointed by the governor as a representative of a group or groups of
12 people who have been targeted by hate crime acts or acts of domestic
13 terrorism; (g) one member, who shall be appointed by the governor as a
14 representative of a group or groups who advocate for or otherwise repre-
15 sent communities who have been targeted by hate crime acts or acts of
16 domestic terrorism; (h) one member, who shall be appointed on the recom-
17 mendation of the temporary president of the senate; (i) one member, who
18 shall be appointed on the recommendation of the speaker of the assembly;
19 (j) one member, who shall be appointed on the recommendation of the
20 president of the New York state district attorneys association; (k) one
21 member, who shall be appointed on the recommendation of the president of
22 the New York state association of chiefs of police; and others as may be
23 necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities under this
24 section. The task force will be co-chaired by the commissioner of the
25 division of criminal justice services and the superintendent of state
26 police, or their designees. It shall meet as often as is necessary, but
27 no less than four times per year, and under circumstances as are appro-
28 priate to fulfilling its duties under this section. All members shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14928-02-0
A. 9669 2
1 provided with written notice reasonably in advance of each meeting with
2 the date, time and location of such meeting.
3 2. The task force shall: (a) collect and organize data on the nature
4 and extent of hate crimes and domestic terrorism in the state; (b) iden-
5 tify available federal, state and local programs that provide services
6 to victims of hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism; (c) coordinate
7 when necessary with the bureau of criminal investigations task force
8 defined in subdivision two of section two hundred sixteen of this arti-
9 cle on issues pertaining to hate crimes; (d) identify available federal,
10 state and local programs that provide services to prevent acts of hate
11 crimes and domestic terrorism; (e) consult with governmental and non-go-
12 vernmental organizations in developing recommendations to strengthen
13 state and local efforts to prevent hate crimes and acts of domestic
14 terrorism; (f) establish interagency protocols and collaboration between
15 federal, state, and local law enforcement, state and governmental agen-
16 cies, and non-governmental organizations; (g) evaluate approaches to
17 increase public awareness about hate crimes and domestic terrorism and
18 make recommendations on such approaches; (h) evaluate the effectiveness
19 of training programs on hate crimes and domestic terrorism that have
20 been designed for law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, other govern-
21 mental employees, and non-governmental organizations, and make recommen-
22 dations for improving the quality and effectiveness of such programs;
23 and (i) convene any subcommittee necessary to consider specific issues
24 as needed.
25 3. The task force shall report to the governor, the speaker of the
26 assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president
27 of the senate and the minority leader of the senate no less than annual-
28 ly. Such report shall include data gathered by the task force on the
29 nature, extent, and incidence of hate crimes and domestic terrorism in
30 the state and a summary of any recommendations developed over the year
31 to strengthen state and local prevention efforts and any other informa-
32 tion deemed necessary. The task force shall additionally issue such
33 reports and recommendations as it deems necessary to carry out its
34 duties and responsibilities.
35 4. For the purposes of this section, "domestic terrorism" shall mean
36 the commission, or possible commission, of acts covered under article
37 four hundred ninety of the penal law, in which the perpetrator is or
38 would be a resident of the United States or an organization that oper-
39 ates exclusively or primarily within the United States.
40 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
41 have become a law.
