Bill Text: NY A04429 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes law enforcement officer grant funds and firefighter grant funds to cover expenses related to hiring law enforcement officers and firefighters and equipment and resources for such officers and firefighters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - referred to codes [A04429 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-A04429-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4429 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JONES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to law enforcement offi- cer and firefighter grant funds The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "public safety investment act". 3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read 4 as follows: 5 § 844. Law enforcement officer grant funds. 1. Within amounts appro- 6 priated for such purpose, in the years two thousand twenty-six, two 7 thousand twenty-seven and two thousand twenty-eight, one hundred fifty 8 million dollars shall be available and allocated each year pursuant to 9 subdivisions two and three of this section and shall be paid to cover 10 all expenses related to hiring law enforcement officers, including any 11 benefits provided to such officers through employment with their respec- 12 tive law enforcement agency. 13 2. One hundred twelve million five hundred thousand dollars of the 14 funds allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be 15 available to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of hiring new 16 police officers or rehiring police officers who have been laid off, 17 hiring members of the armed forces to serve as law enforcement officers 18 in crime prevention, and supporting non-hiring initiatives, such as 19 training law enforcement officers in crime prevention, community polic- 20 ing techniques, and developing technologies that support crime 21 prevention strategies. Eligible law enforcement agencies shall be 22 eligible for up to ninety percent of the costs associated with such 23 hiring or non-hiring initiatives; provided, however that such law 24 enforcement agencies shall commit to employing such officers for at EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD08633-01-5A. 4429 2 1 least five years, retaining such officers for at least two additional 2 years after the three years of grant funding expires. 3 3. Thirty-seven million five hundred thousand dollars of the funds 4 allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be available 5 to law enforcement agencies for the purchase of equipment, such as 6 firearms, riot gear, and protective vests; provided, however, that such 7 grant funds shall not be expended on the purchase or maintenance of 8 police cruisers or other vehicles used by law enforcement agencies. 9 4. The commissioner, in cooperation with the attorney general and the 10 superintendent of state police, shall establish eligibility criteria and 11 the application process for the grants provided for pursuant to this 12 section. Grant information and application forms shall be made avail- 13 able through the New York state grants gateway. 14 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 158-a to 15 read as follows: 16 § 158-a. Firefighter grant funds. 1. Within amounts appropriated for 17 such purpose, in the years two thousand twenty-six, two thousand twen- 18 ty-seven and two thousand twenty-eight, one hundred fifty million 19 dollars shall be available and allocated each year pursuant to subdivi- 20 sions two and three of this section and shall be paid to cover all 21 expenses related to hiring firefighters, including any benefits provided 22 to such firefighters through employment with their respective fire 23 department. 24 2. One hundred twelve million five hundred thousand dollars of the 25 funds allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be 26 available to fire departments for the purchase of equipment. 27 3. Thirty-seven million five hundred thousand dollars of the funds 28 allocated pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be available 29 to fire departments for the purpose of hiring new firefighters or rehir- 30 ing firefighters who have been laid off and supporting non-hiring initi- 31 atives, such as training firefighters in fire prevention and developing 32 technologies that support firefighting strategies. Eligible fire depart- 33 ments shall be eligible for up to ninety percent of the costs associated 34 with such hiring or non-hiring initiatives; provided, however that such 35 fire departments shall commit to employing such firefighters for at 36 least five years, retaining such firefighters for at least two addi- 37 tional years after the three years of grant funding expires. 38 4. The state fire administrator shall establish eligibility criteria 39 and the application process for the grants provided for pursuant to this 40 section. Grant information and application forms shall be made available 41 through the New York state grants gateway. 42 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
