What's happening
This bill requires enhanced training for police, firefighters, and emergency responders in New York on recognizing and responding to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Why it matters
Expands and standardizes training. for police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel to cover a broader range of developmental disabilities—including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and hearing impairment—ensuring first responders are better equipped to recognize and appropriately respond to individuals with these conditions.
Mandates ongoing education. Firefighters and emergency responders must not only complete the initial training but also undergo refresher courses at least every three years, making this a continuous requirement rather than a one-time certification.
Promotes coordinated curriculum development. Requires collaboration between criminal justice, fire, health departments, and disability advocacy groups to update and synchronize training materials. This is likely to improve both the quality and consistency of response across different types of first responders.
May reduce risk of miscommunication or escalation. By including specific instruction on interview, interrogation, and behavior recognition, the law aims to prevent misunderstandings or inappropriate responses in crisis situations involving people with developmental disabilities, which could lead to safer outcomes for all involved.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Train First Responders on Disabilities
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to local government
- Referred to local government
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3615
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 25, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law and the public health law, in relation to the training of police officers and firefighters
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. Training of police officers and firefighters. 1. (a) The commissioner of the New York state division of criminal justice services, in consultation with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and disability advocacy groups, shall review the training course entitled "Persons with Disabilities," Part Five Section E of the Basic Course for Police Officers and modify it to include instruction on other developmental disabilities as well. The training should include instruction on cerebral palsy, epilepsy, emotional disturbance, traumatic brain injury, persons who are hearingimpaired, and any other disability deemed necessary by the commissioners. The training shall be designed to educate police officers on appropriate recognition and response techniques for handling emergency situations involving individuals with developmental disabilities or people who are hearing-impaired. The curriculum should also include instruction on appropriate interview and interrogation techniques. Additional attention should be placed upon behaviors associated with individuals with autism and other neurological and behaviorally based disorders. This review and modification shall be implemented within twelve months of the effective date of this section.
(b) Notwithstanding any state or local law, prior to being appointed to permanent status as a local police officer in a law enforcement unit, an individual shall be required to complete the training course entitled "Persons with Disabilities." Every local police officer appointed prior
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07415-01-7
S. 3615 2
to the effective date of this section shall, within thirty-six months of such effective date, satisfactorily complete the training developed under paragraph (a) of this subdivision.
2. (a) The state fire administrator of the office of fire prevention and control, in consultation with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and disability advocacy groups, shall adapt the training developed by the commissioner of the New York state division of criminal justice services under paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section to be utilized for training firefighters. The curriculum shall be incorporated into existing requirements for training, re-certification and continuing education of firefighters, within sixteen months of the effective date of this section.
(b) Notwithstanding any state or local law, all firefighters, volunteer or paid, permanent or non-permanent, and all individuals engaged in fire suppression, firefighting, or fire rescue shall be required to satisfactorily complete the training developed under paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section, as part of existing continuing education requirements, at least once every thirty-six months.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 3054 to read as follows:
§ 3054. Training of emergency responders. 1. The director of the New York state health department bureau of emergency medical services, in consultation with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and disability advocacy groups, shall adapt the training developed by the commissioner of the New York state division of criminal justice services pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section two hundred nine-ff of the general municipal law to be utilized for training emergency responders. The curriculum shall be incorporated into existing requirements for training, re-certification and continuing education of emergency responders, within eighteen months of the effective date of this section.
2. Prior to certification by the New York state health department bureau of emergency medical services, every advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician or certified first responder, as defined in section three thousand one of this chapter, shall be required to satisfactorily complete the training developed under subdivision one of this section.
3. Prior to re-certification by the New York state health department bureau of emergency medical services, every advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician or certified first responder, as defined in section three thousand one of this chapter, shall be required to satisfactorily complete the training developed under subdivision one of this section. The training shall be completed as part of a state approved refresher course or continuing education course. The training shall be substantially similar, in substance and duration, to the training mandated in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section two hundred nine-ff of the general municipal law. No advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician or certified first responder, as defined in section three thousand one of this chapter, shall be exempt from this requirement for any reason, certification or test score.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general municipal law and the public health law, in relation to the training of police officers and firefighters
Purpose
This bill amends the general municipal law and the public health law, in relation to the training of police officers, firefighters and emergency responders with respect to persons with disabilities; the training is designed to further educate first responders on the appropriate recognition and response techniques for handling emergency situations involving persons with disabilities.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends the general municipal law by adding a new section 209-ff to require training for police officers and firefighters with respect to persons with disabilities.
Read the full memo (746 words)
Sub-section (1) (a). Provides that the Commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services in consultation with the Commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities along with disability advocacy groups shall review the training course entitled "persons with Disabilities" under the "Basic Course" to make necessary modifications to include additional information on developmental disabilities and hearing impairments. Further, that the training course be administered by the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, created under article forty-five of the mental hygiene law, as part of the in-service training provided to police officers.
Subsection (1) (b). Provides that every local police officer shall complete the above-mentioned training course and that every police officer appointed prior to the effective date of this law shall complete the course within thirty-six months.
Subsection (2) (a). Provides that the State Fire Administrator of the Office of Fire Prevention and Control in consultation with the Commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities along with disability advocacy groups shall adapt training programs in accordance with (1) (a) above within sixteen months. Subsection
(2) (b), Provides that all individuals engaged in fire suppression, fire fighting, or fire rescue shall complete training as part of their continuing education requirements at least every thirty six months.
Section 2. Amends the public health law by adding a new section 3054 in relation to the training of emergency responders with respect to persons with disabilities.
Subsection (1). Provides that the Director of the New York State Health Department Bureau of Emergency Medical Services in consultation with the Commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities along with disability advocacy groups shall adapt training Programs in accordance with (1) (a) above within eighteen months.
Subsection (2). Requires training pursuant to 209-ff (1) (a)-above prior to certification of every advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician or first responder by the Health Department. Subsection (3). Requires training that is substantially similar to the training mandated under 209-ff (1) (a) above prior to recertification of every advanced emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician or first responder by the Health Department. This section also provides that no advanced emergency medical technician, emergency ' medical technician or first responder.shall be exempt from this requirement fox and reason, certification or test score.
Section 3. Sets forth the effective date.
Justification
Individuals with developmental disabilities comprise about 1.5% of the entire population of the United States and they rely on first responders (police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians) in emergency situations. In fact, an individual with a developmental disability is approximately seven times more likely to come into contact with a first responder. Without proper training for first responders, the emergency needs of these individuals may not be proper-y served, and an emergency situation can escalate leading to an unnecessary fear, injury or even death. Standard protocols cannot always be used because of communication and comprehension barriers, differences in danger perception or sensitivity to pain and physical contact.
When emergency situations arise, it is essential that first responders have the appropriate skill set so that persons with developmental disabilities will receive proper assistance. Therefore, specialized training is necessary to ensure New York's first responders are capable of identifying individuals with developmental disabilities and communicating in an appropriate and effective manner in response to the particular emergency situation. This legislation will ensure New York's first responders receive that training by adding to existing training and re-certification requirements.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.3886 - Referred to Local Government 2013-14: S.1571 - Referred to Local Government 111-12: S.3417 - Referred to Local Government
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.