S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5501--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Governmental Operations -- recommitted to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations in accordance with Assembly Rule 3,
sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the general municipal law, the town
law, the correction law and the public health law, in relation to
requiring the inclusion of cultural competency training in the basic
training and pre-employment course curricula for police, firefighters,
correction officers and first responders
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 214-j
to read as follows:
§ 214-J. TRAINING. 1. THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL ESTABLISH POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES REQUIRING THAT STATE POLICE BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT
COURSE CURRICULA INCLUDE TRAINING IN THE AREAS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY,
INCLUDING TRAINING PERTAINING TO APPROPRIATE SENSITIVITY TO ISSUES OF
RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RELIGION, AGE AND DISABILI-
TIES. SUCH TRAINING SHALL COMPRISE NOT LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT OF THE
BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT COURSE TRAINING CURRICULA. CULTURAL
COMPETENCY TRAINING SHALL BE PROVIDED BY AN ACCREDITED EDUCATOR AND/OR
ACCREDITATION BODY.
2. THE ACCREDITATION BODY SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO SUCH
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND
DEPARTMENTS, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMU-
NITY SUPERVISION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH
CURRICULA BY SUCH AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS.
3. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE POLICE SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND
REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02186-07-6
A. 5501--A 2
4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "CULTURAL COMPETENCY"
MEANS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT ENABLE A PERSON TO APPRECIATE, UNDER-
STAND AND INTERACT WITH MEMBERS OF DIVERSE POPULATIONS WITHIN THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY.
§ 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section
208-i to read as follows:
§ 208-I. MANDATORY POLICE OFFICER CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING. THE
CHIEF OFFICER OF EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN THE
STATE SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT
COURSE CURRICULA FOR ALL MEMBERS OF SUCH OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT AND FOR
ALL CURRENT AND NEW OFFICER EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CULTURAL
COMPETENCY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
HUNDRED FOURTEEN-J OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
§ 3. Section 204-d of the general municipal law, as amended by section
44 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
follows:
§ 204-d. Duties of the fire chief. 1. The fire chief of any fire
department or company shall, in addition to any other duties assigned to
[him] SUCH FIRE CHIEF by law or contract, to the extent reasonably
possible determine or cause to be determined the cause of each fire or
explosion which the fire department or company has been called to
suppress. [He] SUCH FIRE CHIEF shall file with the office of fire
prevention and control a report containing such determination and any
additional information required by such office regarding the fire or
explosion. The report shall be in the form designated by such office.
[He] SUCH FIRE CHIEF shall contact or cause to be contacted the appro-
priate investigatory authority if [he] SUCH FIRE CHIEF has reason to
believe the fire or explosion is of incendiary or suspicious origin. For
all fires that are suspected to have been ignited by a cigarette, within
fourteen days after completing the investigation into such fire, the
fire chief shall forward to the office of fire prevention and control
information detailing, to the extent possible: (a) the specific brand
and style of the cigarette suspected of having ignited such fire; (b)
whether the cigarette package was marked as required by subdivision six
of section one hundred fifty-six-c of the executive law; and (c) the
location and manner in which such cigarette was purchased.
2. THE FIRE CHIEF OF ANY FIRE DEPARTMENT OR COMPANY IN THE STATE SHALL
ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT COURSE CURRIC-
ULA FOR ALL MEMBERS OF SUCH FIRE DEPARTMENT OR COMPANY AND FOR ALL
CURRENT AND NEW EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO HUNDRED
FOURTEEN-J OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
§ 4. The town law is amended by adding a new section 155-a to read as
follows:
§ 155-A. MANDATORY POLICE OFFICER CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING. THE
CHIEF OFFICER OF EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE SHALL ESTABLISH
AND IMPLEMENT BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT COURSE CURRICULA FOR ALL
MEMBERS OF SUCH OFFICE AND FOR ALL CURRENT AND NEW OFFICER EMPLOYEES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ESTAB-
LISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO HUNDRED FOURTEEN-J OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
§ 5. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 22-c to
read as follows:
§ 22-C. MANDATORY CORRECTION OFFICER CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING. THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT BASIC TRAINING AND PRE-EM-
PLOYMENT COURSE CURRICULA FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR ALL
CURRENT AND NEW OFFICER EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CULTURAL COMPE-
A. 5501--A 3
TENCY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
HUNDRED FOURTEEN-J OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
§ 6. Section 3002 of the public health law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 2-c to read as follows:
2-C. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES COUNCIL, SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT BASIC TRAINING
AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT COURSE CURRICULA FOR ALL CURRENT CAREER FIRST RESPON-
DERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECH-
NICIANS AND FOR ALL NEW FIRST RESPONDERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS
AND ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
CULTURAL COMPETENCY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO
SECTION TWO HUNDRED FOURTEEN-J OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
§ 7. This act shall take effect immediately.