Relates to the creation of a yellow alert system to be activated when a hit and run has resulted in death or serious injury, the investigating law enforcement agency has additional information concerning the suspect's vehicle, and when public dissemination of available information could either help avert further harm or accelerate apprehension of the suspect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1375
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the creation
of a yellow alert system to be activated when a hit and run has
resulted in death or serious injury
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
2 article 22-A to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 22-A
4 YELLOW ALERT SYSTEM
5 Section 620. Short title.
6 621. Definitions.
7 622. Procedure.
8 § 620. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as
9 the "yellow alert system".
10 § 621. Definitions. As used in this article: 1. "Yellow alert" shall
11 mean a notification system, activated pursuant to section six hundred
12 twenty-two of this article, designed to coordinate alerts with respect
13 to a hit and run incident resulting in the death or injury of a person
14 as described in subdivision four of section six hundred twenty-two of
15 this article.
16 2. "Hit and run" shall mean when a driver of a vehicle who is involved
17 in a collision with another vehicle, property or human being, knowingly
18 fails to stop to give his or her name, license number, and other infor-
19 mation as required by section six hundred of this title.
20 § 622. Procedure. 1. If a hit and run incident is reported to a law
21 enforcement agency, and that agency determines that the requirements of
22 subdivision four of this section are met, the agency may request the New
23 York state police to activate a yellow alert. If the New York state
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07119-01-9
S. 1375 2
1 police concurs that the requirements of subdivision four of this section
2 are met, it shall activate a yellow alert within the geographic area
3 requested by the investigating law enforcement agency.
4 2. Radio, television, and cable and satellite systems are encouraged,
5 but are not required, to cooperate with disseminating the information
6 contained in a yellow alert.
7 3. Upon activation of a yellow alert, the New York state police shall
8 assist the investigating law enforcement agency by issuing the yellow
9 alert via a local digital sign.
10 4. A law enforcement agency may request that a yellow alert be acti-
11 vated if that agency determines that the following conditions are met in
12 regard to the investigation of the hit and run incident:
13 a. A person has been killed or has suffered serious bodily injury due
14 to a hit and run incident;
15 b. The investigating law enforcement agency has additional information
16 concerning the suspect or the suspect's vehicle, including, but not
17 limited to, any of the following:
18 (i) The complete license plate number of the suspect's vehicle;
19 (ii) A partial license plate number and the make, model, and color of
20 the suspect's vehicle;
21 (iii) The identity of the suspect; and
22 c. Public dissemination of available information could either help
23 avert further harm or accelerate apprehension of the suspect.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
25 have become a law.