Criminal Justice (Domestic Violence)

passed both · New York · Senate May 29, 2026

S 2280: Requires a lethality assessment in incidents of domestic violence

Requires law enforcement officers to conduct a lethality assessment as part of the standardized domestic incident report form when responding to incidents of domestic violence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires lethality assessments in domestic violence cases to improve law enforcement response and victim safety, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 12, 2025

R 1251: Establishes a plan setting forth an itemized list of grantees for certain appropriations for the 2025-26 state fiscal year for grants or reimbursement of certain expenses by local governments

Senate Resolution 1251 establishes a required itemized list of grantees for 2025-26 state funding allocated to local governments and community-based nonprofits providing legal services (including domestic violence survivor support and indigent client representation) and violence prevention programs across upstate New York. The resolution mandates that all funding distribution plans - detailing exact grant amounts for specific organizations - must be approved by a majority of the full Senate via roll call vote. It specifically lists recipients like Albany Law School ($87,500), Legal Aid Society of Rochester ($218,750), and others, formalizing prior resolutions (R2704, R1406, R2693) for these programs. This procedural resolution ensures transparency in how state funds are distributed for criminal/civil legal aid and community safety initiatives.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates itemized funding distribution for essential legal services and violence prevention programs, promoting fiscal transparency and accountability in budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds legal services, domestic violence support, and violence prevention programs - directly advancing criminal justice services for indigent clients and community safety.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4753: Relates to establishing Bella's Law, which correlates animal abuse with domestic violence

Bella's Law requires New York's Office of Children and Family Services to investigate potential domestic violence when an individual is accused of or under investigation for animal abuse. Law enforcement must notify the Office of Children and Family Services about such cases, and the Office must determine if the animal abuse is linked to domestic violence or family abuse. The law applies to all animal abuse crimes listed in the bill, including offenses like animal fighting, torture, abandonment, and harming service animals. This policy change mandates coordination between law enforcement and child/family services to address the established connection between animal cruelty and domestic violence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill requires law enforcement to notify OCFS about animal abuse cases linked to domestic violence, enhancing criminal justice response to domestic violence through proactive investigation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 2227: Relates to the duration of orders of protection in cases involving domestic violence

This bill establishes a minimum five-year duration for orders of protection in all domestic violence cases, replacing previous shorter timeframes. It requires courts to explicitly state findings of aggravating circumstances on the record when extending orders beyond the minimum period. The legislation applies to both civil family court orders (under the Family Court Act) and criminal sentencing orders (under the Criminal Procedure Law). Key provisions prevent courts from denying extensions solely because abuse hasn't occurred during the order's term and mandate that courts articulate their reasoning for duration decisions. The bill also clarifies that temporary orders don't affect the length of final orders.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends protection order duration to 5 years in domestic violence cases, requiring court findings for extensions, strengthening victim safety and aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Sentencing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3461: Creates the crime of stalking a police officer or peace officer

Creates the crime of stalking a police officer or peace officer when a person intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific police officer, peace officer or a person who they know or reasonably should know is a member of such officer's immediate family, and knows or reasonably should know that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable fear of material harm to the physical health, safety or property of such officer or member of such officer's immediate family; makes stalking a police officer or peace officer a class E felony; requires the posting of bail; makes related provisions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense for stalking officers, expanding criminalization without reform elements90% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Policing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6456: Expands prison work release program eligibility and participation

Bill S 6456 expands eligibility for incarcerated individuals to participate in prison work release programs by extending the required proximity to parole or conditional release. Most participants will now be eligible three years, instead of two, prior to release, and those with certain violent offenses will be eligible thirty months, up from eighteen. The bill also extends this three-year eligibility to individuals convicted of homicide offenses related to domestic abuse by the victim. Furthermore, it prohibits the governor from issuing executive orders to exclude classes of otherwise eligible individuals and adds aggravated harassment of an employee by an incarcerated individual to the list of ineligible offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands work release eligibility to enhance rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Probation & Parole Violent Crime

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7952: Relates to domestic violence training for judges, court clerks and law enforcement officers

Requires judges or justices in a court that exercises criminal jurisdiction, including town and village justices, family court judges, and justices of the supreme court who regularly handle matrimonial matters, and court clerks of such courts to attend a program approved by the chief administrator of the courts addressing issues relating to domestic violence totaling at least ten hours every two years; requires law enforcement officers to complete ten hours of domestic violence training every two years.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates domestic violence training for judges, law enforcement, and clerks to improve case handling and victim safety, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4079: Establishes the crime of coercive control

Relates to establishing the crime of coercive control; provides that a person is guilty of coercive control when such person engages in a course of conduct against a member of such person's same family or household, without the victim's consent, which results in limiting or restricting, in full or in part, the victim's behavior, movement, associations or access to or use of such victim's own finances or financial information; provides that coercive control is a class E felony.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates new class E felony for coercive control, strengthening victim protections and aligning with criminal justice reform to address intimate partner violence.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4497: Relates to enhancing penalties and protecting victims of crimes of domestic violence

This bill increases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenses by elevating certain crimes to class E felonies when perpetrators have prior convictions for specific offenses (like harassment, assault, or stalking) within the last ten years and are in the same household or family as the victim. It amends New York Penal Law sections to define "same family or household" consistently and specifies qualifying prior crimes, including stalking, strangulation, and harassment offenses. The changes directly affect domestic violence perpetrators with prior convictions and strengthen legal protections for victims by imposing stricter penalties for repeat offenses. The bill does not create new victim services but modifies criminal sentencing structures for domestic violence cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders to protect victims, aligning with criminal justice reform that strengthens victim protections through enhanced sentencing.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Sentencing Violent Crime

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failed · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4206: Requires courts to consider whether an individual poses a risk or threat of physical danger to the safety of any person or the community when imposing a securing order

Requires courts to consider whether an individual poses a risk or threat of physical danger to the safety of any person or the community when imposing a securing order; makes stalking in the second and third degree a qualifying offense; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires courts to assess actual danger risk before imposing securing orders, promoting due process and preventing unwarranted restrictions on individuals, aligning with civil rights protection in criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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