What's happening
This bill allows local police agencies in New York to charge fees, including administrative costs, for searching, copying, and mailing police records.
Why it matters
Introduces new fees for the public. Individuals and organizations (other than government entities and volunteer fire companies) requesting police records would now have to pay set fees for searching ($5 for manual, $3 for electronic), copying ($1 per page, $15 for accident reports), and mailing preparation ($2).
Could impact access to public records. By adding or increasing costs for obtaining police records, the bill may deter some members of the public—especially those with limited means—from requesting information or pursuing public accountability.
Standardizes and clarifies fee structure. The bill specifies exact amounts and conditions under which fees are charged, aiming to make the process more transparent and potentially reduce arbitrary or inconsistent charges across different local police agencies.
Exempts certain public and nonprofit uses. Searches and copies requested by public officers, agencies, or volunteer fire companies for public purposes would remain free, which maintains access for official and emergency services while shifting costs primarily to individuals and private entities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Charge Fees for Police Records
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1623
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SKOUFIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to authorizing police agencies to include administrative costs in fees for copies of police agency records
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-t to read as follows:
§ 837-t. Fees for copies of police agency records. 1. Except as provided by law that no fee shall be charged, local police agencies may charge a fee for searching the police agency records, copying the resulting documents, and preparing such documents for mailing as provided in this section. Provided, however, that no fee shall be charged any public officer, board, body, agency, or department or volunteer fire company, for searches or copies of documents to be used for a public purpose.
2. Fees for searches of police agency records. (a) The fee for a search which is made manually by the police agency shall be five dollars per request.
(b) The fee for a search which is conducted by means of an electronic medium shall be three dollars per request.
3. Fees for copies of documents and preparation for mailing. The fees for copies of documents, other than accident reports, shall be one dollar per page. A page shall consist of either a single or double-side of any document. The fee for a copy of an accident report shall be fifteen dollars. All copies of documents shall be certified at no additional fee. Whenever a search of records of the police agency is required in conjunction with a copy of a document, the fee shall be the fee for the search as provided in subdivision two of this section. The result of such search will be the locating of the document, or if no
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04532-01-7
A. 1623 2
document can be located, a certification to that effect will be the result of such search. The fee for the preparation for mailing, if necessary, shall be two dollars per request.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.