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History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S1773
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a legislative intelligence committee
Purpose
To create a bi-cameral and bi-partisan select legislative intelligence committee with the responsibility of providing oversight, review approval and audit regarding the appropriation, allocation and expenditure of all funds, state, federal and private intended for the Office of Homeland Security and all involved state, cities, municipalities and all legal political subdivision engaged in any and all homeland security and anti-terrorism activities The committee shall have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of records. The State Office of Homeland Security shall be responsible for the submission of periodic reports to the bicameral, bi-partisan legislative intelligence committee with a frequency to be established by the committee, regarding the proposed allocation of all funds, state, federal and private, including The New York City Police Department Counter-Terrorism Foundation, Inc and the New York City Police Department Foundation, and any other not-for-profit corporations or entities intended for homeland security and anti-terrorism activities. Legislative members of the intelligence committee shall be subject to the confidentiality protocol related to sensitive information and be subject to the requisite security clearances established by the federal government.
Read the full memo (633 words)
Summary of provisions
Section 1: amends the executive law by adding a new section 719 to establish a legislative intelligence committee with extensive powers to oversee, examine, review and approve all homeland security and anti-terrorism activities executed by any law-enforcement officer or employee subject to the New York State Pension system or any consultants who shall be paid from all funds, state, federal and private intended for homeland security and anti-terrorism activities.
Justification
Surveillance activities by New York State based law-enforcement officers, employed by the State and its subdivisions and members of the New York State Pension system, have been engaged in surveillance and intelligence activities specifically focused on mosques, businesses and the websites, educational institutions, student organizations affiliated with individuals of Muslim faith within New York State and beyond its geographic boundaries, including other states. NYPD also conducts operations in at least eleven foreign cities including London, Paris, Madrid and Tel Aviv clearly basing their investigations on the basis of religion. Currently the NYPD is "prohibited under its own guidelines and city law from basing its investigations on religion" and many of its own recommendations are prohibited under FBI guidelines. Intelligence experts have identified New York State as not having a focal point for intelligence but rather as embedded into other disciplines. The NYS appropriation of federal funds for counter-terrorism in SFY 2012- 2013 is $600 million, of which 80% or $480 million is allocated to the City of New York. The US
Department of Homeland Security has provided New York City with approximately $2.5 billion in the past ten years to aid their counterterrorism efforts. Twenty percent of the appropriation is allocated to administration. Recent reports have inferred that activities carried out by NYPD beyond its borders are "rogue" and have not been approved by the extra-state jurisdictions in which they have been implemented.
It bears noting that the Central Intelligence Agency has been actively assisting NYPD for the last ten years notwithstanding a disavowal, according to press reports, by Scott Muller, CIA General Counsel, Such collaborations are subject to the General Counsel's approval.
This bill seeks to secure the safety and civil rights of the residents of New York State and to ensure the lawful allocation of funds for intelligence activities implemented within its borders and by employees of the State, its cities and municipal subdivisions.
Legislative history
S. 6272 (2014) - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs S. 2407 (2013) - Referred to Finance S. 6643 (2012) - Referred to Finance
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.