What's happening
This bill allows people to videotape police, firefighters, and emergency personnel performing their duties, and provides penalties for interference.
Why it matters
Empowers civilians to hold public safety personnel accountable. by affirming the legal right to record police, firefighters, and emergency responders as they work, potentially increasing transparency during public incidents.
Creates a significant financial deterrent. Uniformed personnel who unlawfully prevent or prohibit recording may be liable for $25,000 in damages per incident, which could influence departmental policies and individual behavior regarding citizen oversight.
Clarifies legal boundaries for both the public and responders. by specifying that recording is allowed as long as it does not interfere with official duties, helping to reduce confusion and potential conflicts during high-stress situations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Filming of Police
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2588
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SEPULVEDA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to videotaping uniformed personnel in the course of carrying out their professional duties
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-o to read as follows:
§ 79-o. Right to videotape uniformed personnel. 1. Any person may videotape uniformed personnel in the course of carrying out their duties, as long as such person does not interfere with uniformed personnel from carrying out their duties.
2. "Uniformed personnel" as used in this section, shall mean police, firefighters, emergency technicians and paramedics.
3. A person who is prevented or prohibited from videotaping, as described in subdivision one of this section, by uniformed personnel, may recover damages in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars per violation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07274-01-7
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.