What's happening
This bill establishes a statewide "blue alert" system to quickly notify the public when a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously wounded.
Why it matters
Expands public safety communication. by establishing a formal process for quickly alerting the public statewide when a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously wounded, aiming to speed up the identification and capture of suspects.
Creates a flexible, regional approach. that allows local law enforcement and media to opt in, but also ensures alerts are still issued even if a local agency does not directly participate—ensuring coverage and public awareness in critical incidents.
Lays groundwork for future emergency alerts. by instructing the oversight committee to expand the system to cover other urgent public threats, such as homeland security or health emergencies, potentially making the alert system a broader public safety tool.
Includes accountability and safeguards. by making it a criminal offense to knowingly issue a false alert, which helps protect the system’s integrity and public trust.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Police Blue Alert System
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.252
- Referred to finance
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to governmental operations
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1574
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
- 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.
Create Police Blue Alert System
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Nicole Malliotakis
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5925
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. KAMINSKY -- 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 establishing a blue alert system to aid in the apprehension of any individuals suspected of killing or seriously wounding any law enforcement officer
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding two new sections 837-u and 837-v to read as follows:
§ 837-u. Blue alert system. 1. There is established within the division the blue alert system referred to in this section as the "system" which is a statewide program to aid in the identification, location and apprehension of any individual or individuals suspected of killing or seriously wounding any local, state, or federal law enforcement officer.
2. For the purposes of this section, "law enforcement officer" means any public servant having both the power and duty to make arrests for violations of the laws of the state of New York, and federal law enforcement officers authorized to carry firearms and to make arrests for violations of the laws of the United States.
3. The division shall develop regions to provide the system. The division shall coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and public commercial television and radio broadcasters to provide an effective system. In the event that a local law enforcement agency opts not to set up a system and a killing or serious wounding of a law enforcement officer occurs within the jurisdiction, it shall notify the division who will notify local media in the region.
4. The blue alert system shall include all state agencies capable of providing urgent and timely information to the public together with broadcasters and other private entities that volunteer to participate in the dissemination of urgent public information. The blue alert system
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08838-05-9
S. 5925 2
shall include, but not be limited to the division, the New York state department of transportation, and the New York state lottery.
5. The division shall have the authority to notify other regions upon verification that the criteria established by the oversight committee has been met.
6. Participation in a blue alert system is entirely at the option of local law enforcement agencies and federally licensed radio and television broadcasters.
7. Any person who knowingly makes a false report that triggers an alert under this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
§ 837-v. Blue alert system oversight. 1. The division shall develop criteria and procedures for the blue alert system, and shall regularly review the function of the blue alert system and revise its criteria and procedures to provide for efficient and effective public notification. As soon as practicable, the division shall adopt criteria and procedures to expand the blue alert system to provide urgent public alerts related to homeland security, criminal acts, health emergencies, and other imminent dangers to the public health and welfare.
2. The division is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of the blue alert system.
§ 2. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, that section 837-u of the executive law, as added by section one of this act, shall take effect on the ninetieth 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 executive law, in relation to establishing a blue alert system to aid in the apprehension of any indi- viduals suspected of killing or seriously wounding any law enforcement officer
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation adds two new sections to the Executive Law, to provide for a "blue alert system."
Summary of provisions
Section one of this bill amends the Executive Law by adding two new sections 837-t and 837-u. Section 837-t provides for a blue alert system. Said system will be a statewide program to aid in the identifi- cation, location, and apprehension of any individual or individuals suspected of killing or seriously wounding any local, state or federal law enforcement officer. Section 837-u authorizes the law enforcement to develop criteria and procedures for the blue alert system.
Section two of this bill is a severability clause providing that should portion of this act be deemed to be invalid by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this act shall remain in full force and effect.
Section three this act shall take effect immediately; provided, that section 837-t of the executive law, as added by section one of this act, shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Justification
Based upon the success of the Amber Alert for missing children, and using a similar notification system, this bill creates a "Blue Alert System." The Blue Alert System will provide the means to speed up the apprehension of violent criminals who kill or seriously wound local, state, or federal law enforcement officers. Currently, twenty-seven states have this system. These states are: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Maryland, Georgia, Delaware, California, Virginia, Mississippi, Tennes- see, Utah, Colorado, South Carolina, Washington, Ohio, Kentucky, India- na, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, Kansas, North Dakota, Maine, Minne- sota, Michigan, Oklahoma, and North Carolina.
Prior legislative history
2015-2016: S.1460 - Passed the Senate both years/A.4188 - Referred to Governmental Operations both years 2013-2014: S.2108 - Passed the Senate both years 2011-2012: S.2730 - Referred to Finance both years 2010: S.8145 - Referred to Finance
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, that section 837-t of the executive law, as added by section one of this act, shall 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.