This bill amends multiple New York State laws to replace the terms "addict" or "addicts" with "person with substance use disorder" or a similar phrase throughout legal texts. It specifically updates references in the judiciary law (affecting court proceedings), mental hygiene law (governing treatment programs), and public health law (regarding controlled substance dispensing). The change applies to all relevant legal documents, including those describing mental health hearings, treatment eligibility, and medication administration protocols. This terminology shift aims to reduce stigma by using person-centered language consistent with modern healthcare and legal standards. The bill was signed into law as Chapter 511 on November 21, 2025.
This bill (S 8196) establishes specialized "youth parts" in each county's superior court to handle cases involving juvenile and adolescent offenders. It expands eligibility for judges presiding over these youth parts beyond family court judges to include qualified superior court judges with specific training in juvenile justice and adolescent development. All judges in these youth parts must complete mandated training on topics like adolescent behavior, effective treatment methods, and custody. The youth parts will have exclusive jurisdiction over these cases, except where other laws provide exceptions.
Requires police officers to take temporary custody of firearms for not less than one hundred twenty hours when responding to reports of family violence.
This bill changes rules for peremptory challenges (challenges to exclude jurors without reason) in criminal trials with two or more defendants. It specifies that when defendants are tried jointly, they are treated as a single party for challenge purposes. The key provision requires that a peremptory challenge must be allowed if a majority of defendants agree or if there is a tie with an even number of defendants. This directly affects defendants in multi-defendant criminal cases by clarifying when joint challenges can be exercised.
This bill increases maximum fines for corporations convicted of crimes under New York's criminal law. It raises the top fine for felony convictions from $10,000 to $80,000 and for certain serious misdemeanors from $5,000 to $40,000. For offenses where fines are based on corporate gain, the maximum now triples that gain amount. Signed into law in October 2025, it directly affects corporations found guilty of criminal offenses in New York.
Prohibits correctional facilities from denying entry to peer support advocates who are certified or licensed and are participating in the provision of corrections-based substance use disorder treatment and transition services based on such advocates' prior history of incarceration.
Provides for certain victim statements to be taken at their workplace instead of the police department where such workplace was the scene of the crime and is a hospital, emergency medical facility, nursing home or residential health care facility.
Relates to training police officers on how to respond to situations involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
This bill adds arson offenses to categories where courts may deny pretrial release (bail) for defendants. Specifically, it authorizes judges to deny bail for "arson in the fourth degree" (§150.05) or "arson in the third degree" (§150.10) under the same conditions as other serious crimes involving harm to people or property. Prosecutors must show "reasonable cause" the defendant committed the arson, but courts may still release defendants if property damage is deemed negligible and unrelated to other crimes. The bill directly affects individuals charged with these arson offenses during pretrial proceedings.
This bill (S 1648) would have amended New York's criminal procedure law to allow bail for defendants charged with "aggravated cruelty to animals" under Agriculture and Markets Law § 353-a. It specifically added this offense to existing bail eligibility provisions that previously included firearm-related crimes (like third-degree weapons possession). The bill was defeated in the Codes committee on May 5, 2025, and did not become law. It directly affected individuals charged with severe animal cruelty offenses by changing their bail eligibility under state law.
