STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8619
IN SENATE
June 22, 2020
___________
Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, JORDAN, BORRELLO, LITTLE -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Rules
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the general municipal law and the
town law, in relation to requiring police officers to attend annual
diversity training seminars
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 may be cited as the "law
2 enforcement diversity and conflict mitigation training act".
3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-g to
4 read as follows:
5 § 214-g. Mandatory diversity training. 1. The superintendent shall,
6 for all members of the state police:
7 (a) develop, maintain and disseminate written policies and procedures
8 requiring all state police officers and supervisors to attend annual
9 diversity seminars providing training in the areas of diversity and
10 inclusion, including training pertaining to appropriate sensitivity to
11 issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age and
12 disability;
13 (b) establish, and implement on an ongoing basis, a training program
14 for all current and new state police officer employees regarding the
15 policies and procedures established pursuant to this section; and
16 (c) provide information pertaining to such policies and procedures to
17 municipal law enforcement agencies and departments for implementation by
18 such agencies and departments, together with contact information for
19 entities or individuals conducting such training as described in subdi-
20 vision two of this section.
21 2. The superintendent shall contract with non-police professionals
22 with expertise in the areas of implicit bias, anger management, and
23 diversity training to conduct the diversity seminars as described in
24 subdivision one of this section. The seminars shall be attended by at
25 least one law enforcement official who will accentuate the importance of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16621-03-0
S. 8619 2
1 conflict reduction and the appropriate procedures used for the safety of
2 the alleged perpetrator, witnesses and the officers themselves.
3 3. Funding for the seminars shall be procured from seized asset funds
4 and the budget of the state division of criminal justice services and
5 shall be disbursed in the form of grants to municipalities.
6 4. The conduct of diversity seminars as provided in this section shall
7 commence no later than January first, two thousand twenty-one.
8 § 3. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section
9 208-i to read as follows:
10 § 208-i. Mandatory police officer diversity training. The chief offi-
11 cer of every police department and sheriff's office in the state shall,
12 for all members of such office or department, establish, and implement a
13 diversity training seminar program for all current and new officer
14 employees. Such program shall include annual training regarding the
15 diversity policies and procedures established pursuant to section two
16 hundred fourteen-g of the executive law and shall be conducted in
17 accordance with standards established by the superintendent of the state
18 police. Each officer of the department shall be required to attend a
19 diversity seminar on an annual basis. Funding for such seminars shall be
20 provided to municipalities pursuant to subdivision three of section two
21 hundred fourteen-g of the executive law.
22 § 4. The town law is amended by adding a new section 155-a to read as
23 follows:
24 § 155-a. Mandatory police officer diversity training. The chief offi-
25 cer of every town police department shall, for all members of such
26 office, establish, and implement a diversity training seminar program
27 for all current and new officer employees. Such program shall include
28 annual training regarding the diversity policies and procedures estab-
29 lished pursuant to section two hundred fourteen-g of the executive law
30 and shall be conducted in accordance with standards established by the
31 superintendent of the state police. Each officer of the department shall
32 be required to attend a diversity seminar on an annual basis. Funding
33 for such seminars shall be provided to municipalities pursuant to subdi-
34 vision three of section two hundred fourteen-g of the executive law.
35 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
