What's happening
This bill requires crisis intervention training and protocols for police officers in New York City responding to mental illness and substance abuse crises.
Why it matters
Establishes specialized crisis response guidance. The bill mandates the creation and ongoing updating of specific protocols for police interactions with people experiencing mental illness or substance abuse crises, developed in collaboration with mental health and substance abuse experts.
Expands mandatory training for all officers. Both new recruits and current police officers in New York City (cities over one million people) must be trained on these new crisis response protocols, ensuring consistent approaches across the force.
Requires ongoing education and retraining. The legislation calls not just for one-time training, but also for recommendations on regular retraining, aiming to keep police officers’ skills current as best practices evolve.
Aims to reduce harm and improve outcomes. By formalizing these protocols and training requirements, the bill seeks to lower the risk of escalation or inappropriate use of force during crisis situations, potentially improving safety for both officers and vulnerable individuals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Train Police for Crisis Response
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Train Police for Crisis Response
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Walter T. Mosley
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2165
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to crisis intervention training
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 840 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
6. The council shall, in addition:
(a) Develop, maintain and disseminate, in consultation with the commissioner of mental hygiene and the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, written policies and procedures regarding protocols for response to crisis situations involving persons with mental illness and/or substance abuse problems. Such policies and procedures shall make provisions for the education and training of all new and veteran police officers in any city having a population of one million or more on the protocols for response to crisis situations involving persons with mental illness and/or substance abuse problems; and
(b) Recommend to the governor, rules and regulations with respect to the establishment and implementation on an ongoing basis of a training program for all current and new police officers in any city having a population of one million or more regarding the policies and procedures established pursuant to this subdivision, along with recommendations for periodic retraining of such officers.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. 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 effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05632-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to crisis intervention training
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill will expand the current crisis intervention training optional to all New York Police Department officers. By making crisis inter- vention training mandatory, this bill aims to protect officers and those with mental illnesses who are experiencing a psychiatric emergency.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends section 840 of the executive law by adding a new subdi- vision 6 which mandates that the council shall develop, maintain, and disseminate, in consultation with the commissioner of mental hygiene and the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, procedures to handle those with mental illness in a crisis situation. As well as recommend the establishment of a training program to train all current and future NYPD officers in crisis intervention.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
The recent shooting of Saheed Vassell, an unarmed man suffering from bipolar disorder, is just the latest in a long string of shootings of the mentally ill by police officers. Some studies estimate that as many as one quarter of the people shot by police officers had a mental illness of some sort. Crisis Intervention Training can not only reduce these shootings, but lower the risk of injury for officers facing people experiencing a psychiatric emergency. Mandating this training for all law enforcement officers in major cities can be the first step towards keeping everyone safe.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.8393/A.10455-A(Mosley) - Referred to Finance
Fiscal implications
To Be Determined.
Effective date
This act will take effect on the ninetieth 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.