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A714Assembly2017-2018 Session

Allow Noncitizen Police, Firefighters

Official title

“Authorizes localities to remove citizenship requirements for police and firefighters in their jurisdictions”

Sponsor N. Nick PerryAD-58
Status
In Assembly Committee
Governmental Operations
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Governmental Operations

What's happening

This bill allows local governments in New York to remove citizenship requirements for police officers and firefighters.

Why it matters

  1. Expands local flexibility in hiring. By letting cities, towns, and districts drop citizenship requirements, the bill gives local governments more power to address staffing shortages or diversify their police and fire departments based on community needs.

  2. Potentially widens applicant pool. Non-citizens, including green card holders and other legal residents, could become eligible for police and firefighter positions, which could help address recruitment challenges and bring in candidates with valuable language and cultural skills.

  3. Raises questions of public trust and integration. Allowing non-citizens to serve in these high-trust public safety roles may prompt community discussions about accountability, loyalty, and the integration of immigrants into civic life.

  4. Does not mandate change—leaves decision local. The bill doesn’t require any municipality to remove citizenship requirements, but gives them the option, meaning the impact will vary based on local values and circumstances.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Allow Noncitizen Police, Firefighters

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
N. Nick Perry

Assembly Member · Assembly District 58

History

  1. Referred to governmental operations
  2. Referred to governmental operations

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

714

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 9, 2017

Introduced by M. of A. PERRY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GOTT- FRIED, ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations

AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to authorizing the removal of citizenship requirements from police and firefighters by local law

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 209-ff to read as follows:

§ 209-ff. Citizenship requirements of police and firefighters. Notwithstanding any general, special or local law or administrative code to the contrary, the local governing bodies of the several cities, towns, villages, police and fire districts of the state are hereby authorized to remove, by local law, rule or ordinance, any citizenship requirements from the qualifications of police officers and firefighters.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD06340-01-7

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.