Criminal Justice

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6755: Relates to an elder court pilot program

Creates an elder court pilot program to study the effectiveness of senior-specific judicial programming especially involving elder abuse and domestic violence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates elder court pilot for abuse/domestic violence cases, promoting specialized judicial programming to improve outcomes in criminal justice.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4629: Relates to a victim's right to appeal to the state parole board

Provides that where the board has made a determination granting discretionary release to an incarcerated individual pursuant to this section, the crime victim or the victim's representative, where the crime victim is deceased or is mentally or physically incapacitated, has the right to file an appeal of such determination.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill grants crime victims right to appeal parole decisions, enhancing victim protections within criminal justice system95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole Victims' Rights

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7483: Requires the state police to investigate accusations of police misconduct

This bill requires the state police superintendent to investigate any accusation of misconduct filed against officers employed by towns or villages. It directly affects town and village police officers, as accusations against them would now trigger a state-level investigation instead of being handled locally. The key provision mandates that the state police must conduct these investigations for all filed accusations, creating a standardized process. This changes current practice by shifting oversight responsibility from local authorities to the state police for these specific cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires state police to investigate officer misconduct, enhancing accountability standards in law enforcement per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5376: Classifies possession of fentanyl as criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree

Classifies possession of substances containing fentanyl, carfentanyl, or analogs thereof as criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeClassifies fentanyl possession as criminal offense, expanding criminalization without reform elements95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7202: Requires that all police officers and peace officers involved in the execution of a search warrant wear body cameras

Requires that each police officer and peace officer involved in the execution of a search warrant wear a functioning and unobstructed body camera that shall be active prior to and throughout the execution of the search and during any related action following the execution of the search warrant.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates body cameras for police during search warrants, enhancing officer accountability and transparency in law enforcement actions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3505: Establishes the Defund Municipalities that Defund the Police Act

Establishes the "Defund Municipalities that Defund the Police Act" which provides for a withholding of a certain amount of state funding for a defunding municipality.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill explicitly withholds state funding from municipalities defunding police, directly restricting budget allocations to enforce police funding compliance.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill withholds state funds from municipalities defunding police, directly supporting law enforcement funding and opposing defunding efforts within criminal justice policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2094: Relates to the possession and sale of substances containing heroin

This bill amends New York's penal law to increase penalties for possessing or selling heroin-containing substances based on specific weight thresholds and packaging quantities. It sets new limits: for example, possessing or selling heroin preparations totaling 1.5 grams or packaged in 50+ containers triggers enhanced penalties under Section 220.16. Similar thresholds apply to other offenses (e.g., 12 grams for sales under Section 220.18), with higher limits for other contexts like methadone. The bill directly affects individuals possessing or distributing heroin-based substances that meet these quantitative thresholds, making those acts subject to stricter criminal penalties.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill explicitly increases penalties for heroin possession/sale via weight thresholds, expanding criminalization and mandatory sentencing per penal law amendments.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5576: Establishes the crime of feticide

S 5576 creates a new criminal offense called "feticide," defined as intentionally causing the death of an unborn child at any stage of pregnancy through pregnancy termination. This act would be classified as a class A felony - the most serious criminal charge - unless the termination followed specific provisions in public health law. The bill directly affects individuals who intentionally end a pregnancy resulting in the unborn child's death, excluding cases permitted under existing public health law. It does not change abortion access but establishes a new felony for intentional killing of an unborn child.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new class A felony for feticide, expanding criminalization of pregnancy termination, an indicator of opposing criminal justice reform.90% confidence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4853: Authorizes imposition of life imprisonment without parole sentence for persistent violent felony offenders; repealer

Authorizes imposition of life imprisonment without parole sentence for persistent violent felony offenders upon conviction of a violent felony offense when such person has previously been subjected to two or more predicate violent felony convictions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates life without parole for repeat violent offenders, increasing mandatory sentences and restricting defendant rights per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 8, 2026

A 5478: Enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act"

Enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act"; relates to the treatment and placement of incarcerated individuals based upon gender identity; requires that incarcerated individuals in state and local correctional facilities who have a gender identity different from their assigned sex at birth be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials that are consistent with the person's gender identity; establishes that incarcerated individuals shall be presumptively placed in a correctional facility with persons of the gender that most closely aligns with such person's self-attested gender identity unless the person opts out of such placement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires correctional facilities to respect gender identity of incarcerated individuals, protecting civil rights within corrections - a key criminal justice reform element.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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