Requires the secretary of state to develop and mandate training of police department personnel and state police officers on the protocols of the address confidentiality program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8263B
SPONSOR: Zaccaro TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to training of state
police and local police departments on the address confidentiality
program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would require the implementation of a training program on
local and state police department's obligations and protocols related to
the Address Confidentiality Program.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. 840 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivi-
sion 8 to require the council in consultation with the office of victim
services, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and the
department of state to develop training policies and procedures for
police officers on the Address Confidentiality Program. The training is
mandatory and will be incorporated into the basic course for police
officers and conducted once every three years for in-service programs.
In addition, the division of criminal justice services will be required
to certify that every police department in New York State completes this
training.
Section 2. 108 of the executive law is amended to require the Secretary
to include in their annual report the confirmation from the division of
criminal justice services that each county received the training materi-
als and when the training was completed by each police department.
Section 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-j to
require the superintendent in consultation with the office of victim
services, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and the
department of state to develop training policies and procedures for all
state police officers on the Address Confidentiality Program. The train-
ing is mandatory and shall be incorporated into existing training
programs and shall be conducted once every three years. The superinten-
dent will provide confirmation of compliance for all new and veteran
state police officers to the secretary of state.
Section 4. Effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION:
The original bill incorporated the training into existing training
programs, including but not limited to, the basic course for police
offices, in-service programs, and training programs for the state
police.
The amended bill retains the training requirement for the basic course
for police officers but removes the requirement for annual training
within in-service programs and training programs for the state police
and requires the training to be conducted once every three years.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York's Address Confidentiality Program provides eligible individuals
with a confidential address alternative, ensuring privacy and safety.
Participants receive an assigned Albany post office box, accepted by
state and local agencies. Private entities may voluntarily recognize
this address. Pursuant to the Address Confidentiality Program, court-re-
lated documents may be submitted to the Secretary of State's Albany
office for confidential forwarding via certified mail to program partic-
ipants' designated addresses.
The program serves victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual
offense, and human trafficking relocating for safety, and their house-
hold members. Additionally, reproductive healthcare providers, employ-
ees, volunteers, patients, and their immediate family members are eligi-
ble.
Requiring a training program on the local and state police department's
obligations and protocols related to the Address Confidentiality Program
(ACP) is crucial for ensuring victim safety, legal compliance, and
consistent implementation. Proper training prevents police officers from
inadvertently compromising a victim's safety by disclosing their confi-
dential address. It also promotes consistent implementation of ACP
protocols across different police departments and jurisdictions, which
is essential for providing victims with the same level of protection
regardless of where they live in New York State. This legislation can
help ensure that police departments prioritize victim safety and provide
effective support to victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual
assault.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day after it
shall have become law
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8263--B
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 5, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZACCARO, SHIMSKY, REYES, K. BROWN, GALLAHAN,
KELLES, BURROUGHS, RAMOS, TAYLOR, BROOK-KRASNY, LEVENBERG, CRUZ --
read once and referred to the Committee on Codes -- reported and
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged,
bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said
committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Ways and Means in accord-
ance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to training of state
police and local police departments on the address confidentiality
program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 840 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 9 to read as follows:
3 9. (a) The council, in coordination with the office of victim
4 services, the office for the prevention of domestic violence and the
5 secretary of state, shall promulgate policies and procedures with regard
6 to training on the address confidentiality program pursuant to section
7 one hundred eight of this chapter which shall include, but not limited
8 to:
9 (i) training on the purpose and benefits of the address confidentiali-
10 ty program;
11 (ii) procedures for identifying and assisting victims who may be
12 eligible for such program;
13 (iii) guidelines for maintaining confidentiality and handling sensi-
14 tive information related to program participants; and
15 (iv) protocols for coordinating with the office of victim services and
16 other agencies to provide support services to program participants.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10133-08-6
A. 8263--B 2
1 (b) Such training shall be required for all police officers and shall
2 be incorporated into existing training programs including, but not
3 limited to, the basic course for police officers and in-service
4 programs. The training for in-service programs on the address confiden-
5 tiality program shall be conducted once every three years.
6 (c) The division of criminal justice services shall provide confirma-
7 tion of compliance with such training requirement for all police depart-
8 ments to the secretary of state pursuant to section one hundred eight of
9 this chapter.
10 § 2. Subdivision 8 of section 108 of the executive law, as added by
11 chapter 502 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
12 8. Report to the legislature. The secretary shall submit to the legis-
13 lature, no later than February first of each year, a report that
14 includes for each county, the total number of applications received, the
15 total number of persons participating in the program established by this
16 section during the previous calendar year and the total number of pieces
17 of mail forwarded to program participants during the previous calendar
18 year. The report shall include confirmation from the division of crimi-
19 nal justice services of the date that each county received the training
20 materials and when the training was completed by each police department;
21 and confirmation from the superintendent of state police that training
22 was completed by all state police officers.
23 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-j to
24 read as follows:
25 § 214-j. Address confidentiality program training. (a) The superinten-
26 dent, in coordination with the office of victim services, the office for
27 the prevention of domestic violence and the secretary of state, shall
28 promulgate policies and procedures with regard to training on the
29 address confidentiality program pursuant to section one hundred eight of
30 this chapter which shall include, but not be limited to:
31 (i) training on the purpose and benefits of the address confidentiali-
32 ty program;
33 (ii) procedures for identifying and assisting victims who may be
34 eligible for such program;
35 (iii) guidelines for maintaining confidentiality and handling sensi-
36 tive information related to program participants; and
37 (iv) protocols for coordinating with the office of victim services and
38 other agencies to provide support services to program participants.
39 (b) Such training shall be required for all state police officers and
40 shall be incorporated into existing training programs. Such training
41 shall be conducted once every three years.
42 (c) The superintendent shall provide confirmation of compliance with
43 such training requirement for all new and veteran state police officers
44 to the secretary of state pursuant to section one hundred eight of this
45 chapter.
46 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
47 it shall have become a law.
