What's happening
This bill requires police agencies in New York to report suspected hate crimes based on race, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation.
Why it matters
Standardizes hate crime data collection. By requiring every police agency to report suspected hate crimes to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the bill creates a consistent, statewide approach to documenting these incidents, which could reveal patterns and help target resources.
Covers both personal and property crimes. The mandate applies not only to crimes against individuals but also to offenses targeting property based on the victim’s or owner’s race, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation, recognizing the broader impact of hate-driven acts.
Enables better policy and community response. Reliable, centralized reporting will give lawmakers, law enforcement, and communities clearer insight into the prevalence and nature of bias-motivated crimes, supporting more effective prevention, intervention, and support measures.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report Hate Crimes to State
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3621
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 Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to requiring reporting of unlawful acts which appear to be based on race, national origin, religion or sexual orientation
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 40-h to read as follows:
§ 40-h. Reports to division of criminal justice services. Every police agency, as defined in subdivision eight of section eight hundred thirty-five of the executive law, shall notify the division of criminal justice services in the manner prescribed by such division, whenever an act which constitutes an offense is committed and which appears to such agency to have been motivated by the race, national origin, religion or sexual orientation of the victim or in the case of an offense committed against property, the race, national origin, religion or sexual orientation of the owner, resident, lessee or occupant thereof.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law, provided however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07499-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the civil rights law, in relation to requiring reporting of unlawful acts which appear to be based on race, national origin, religion or sexual orientation
Summary
Section 1: This bill would amend the civil Rights Law by creating a new section 40-h. It would require police agencies throughout the State of New York to report "bias incidents" to the State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Justification
Crimes motivated by hatred are exceptionally deplorable. Hate crimes may inflame intergroup tensions, may threaten community stability, and may undermine efforts to promote tolerance and civil rights. For these reasons, New York State should require police agencies across the State to record and report bias incidents. The New York City Police Department has been recording such incidents since creating its bias Incident Investigation Unit in 1981. Maryland and Pennsylvania have recently enacted similar legislation.
The legislation will serve two Principal purposes. First, it will enable New York State to monitor the levels of bias incidents--to see whether certain types of hate crimes are on the rise or on the decline, to see whether certain areas of the State are more or less successful in combating acts of prejudice. Without such a reporting system, political and civil rights leaders will not be able to rely upon objective information about the levels of prejudice-motivated violence.
Second, by requiring police agencies to report and catalogue bias incidents, the legislation will encourage police departments across the state to recognize the unique qualities of bias incidents and thereby to provide the appropriate law enforcement and community response. Once a crime is identified as having a bias component, then the police and community organizations can develop a strategy based on this unique aspect--the police departments can bring in community affairs officers, local organizations can mobilize religious, ethnic or community groups, etc. Through the process of identification of the bias incident, the damage caused by the crime can be ameliorated and contained.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.3986 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations 2013-14: S.3130- Referred to Investigations and Government Operations 2011-12: S.6201 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law, with provisions.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.