Read the full stored bill text
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5256
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 12, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAGUE, BLANKENBUSH, HAWLEY, E. BROWN, DeSTEFANO,
MANKTELOW, LEMONDES, BEEPHAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the uniform justice court act, the judiciary law, and
the criminal procedure law, in relation to providing for the presence
of either a uniformed court officer or law enforcement officer during
court proceedings
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Section 109 of the uniform justice court act is amended by
2 adding a new closing paragraph to read as follows:
3 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL,
4 UPON REQUEST BY THE MUNICIPALITY, ENSURE THE ASSIGNMENT AND PRESENCE OF
5 A UNIFORMED COURT OFFICER DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS. IF A UNIFORMED COURT
6 OFFICER IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL BE
7 RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING AND ENSURING THE PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCE-
8 MENT OFFICIAL DURING SUCH COURT PROCEEDINGS. POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
9 WHICH PROVIDE SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE COURTS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO
10 REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE. NO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FACILITATING THE
11 PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN LIEU OF A UNIFORMED COURT OFFI-
12 CER SHALL BE INCURRED BY THE MUNICIPALITY.
13 § 2. Section 216 of the judiciary law is amended by adding a new
14 subdivision 7 to read as follows:
15 7. THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL, UPON REQUEST BY THE
16 MUNICIPALITY, ENSURE THE ASSIGNMENT AND PRESENCE OF A UNIFORMED COURT
17 OFFICER DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS. IF A UNIFORMED COURT OFFICER IS NOT
18 AVAILABLE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE
19 FOR COORDINATING AND ENSURING THE PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL
20 DURING SUCH COURT PROCEEDINGS.
21 § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 849-h of the judiciary law, as added by
22 chapter 280 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08450-01-5
A. 5256 2
1 2. Funds available pursuant to this article may be used for any
2 purpose having as its end enhancement of the justice courts' ability to
3 provide suitable and sufficient services to their respective communi-
4 ties. These purposes may include, but shall not be limited to, COSTS
5 ASSOCIATED WITH HIRING NONJUDICIAL COURT SECURITY OR REIMBURSEMENT OF
6 COSTS FOR UTILIZING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES; automation of court
7 operations; improvement or expansion of court facilities; provision of
8 appropriate means for the recording of court proceedings; provision of
9 lawbooks, treatises and related materials; and provision of appropriate
10 training for justices and for nonjudicial court staff. Except as may
11 otherwise be provided by rule of the chief administrator, funds avail-
12 able pursuant to this article shall not be used to compensate justices
13 [and nonjudicial court staff], nor shall they be used as a means of
14 reducing funding provided by a town or village to its justice court.
15 § 4. Subdivision 4 of section 849-i of the judiciary law, as amended
16 by chapter 127 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
17 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the chief administrator
18 shall not approve any application for funding in excess of [thirty] TWO
19 HUNDRED AND FIFTY thousand dollars unless such application is a joint
20 application and the aggregate funding sought thereunder does not exceed
21 an amount equaling the product of the number of joint applicants making
22 such application and [thirty] TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY thousand dollars.
23 § 5. Subdivision 1 of section 219-b of the judiciary law, as added by
24 chapter 548 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
25 1. There shall be established a New York state court officer academy
26 (hereinafter referred to in this section as the "academy"). This academy
27 shall serve as a center for the provision of education and training to
28 New York state court officers and other non-judicial employees of the
29 New York state courts. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION, NEW YORK STATE
30 COURT OFFICERS SHALL INCLUDE COURT OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO OR EMPLOYED BY A
31 UNIFIED JUSTICE COURT.
32 § 6. Paragraph a of subdivision 21 of section 2.10 of the criminal
33 procedure law, as added by chapter 843 of the laws of 1980, is amended
34 to read as follows:
35 a. Uniformed court officers [of the unified court system], WHO HAVE
36 RECEIVED AND COMPLETED TRAINING AT THE NEW YORK STATE COURT OFFICER
37 ACADEMY.
38 § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
39 it shall have become a law.