New York A 6812: Enacts "Destini Smothers' law"; requires collaboration between law enforcement agencies in missing persons investigations and provides support for relatives of such missing persons

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A06812 Summary:

BILL NOA06812A

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SAME ASSAME AS S04791-A

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SPONSORAnderson

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§641 & 642, add §837-f-3, Exec L

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Enacts "Destini Smothers' law"; requires collaboration between law enforcement agencies in missing persons investigations; provides support for relatives of such missing persons.

Go to top A06812 Actions:

BILL NOA06812A

&nbsp

03/14/2025referred to governmental operations

06/09/2025amend and recommit to governmental operations

06/09/2025print number 6812a

01/07/2026referred to governmental operations

Go to topA06812 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA06812 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA06812 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6812--A

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 March 14, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. ANDERSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended,
 ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting "Destini
 Smothers' law" to require collaboration between law enforcement agen-
 cies in missing persons investigations and to provide support for
 relatives of such missing persons

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Destini Smoth-
 2 ers' law".
 3 § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 641 of the executive
 4 law, as added by chapter 94 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as
 5 follows:
 6 (b) availability of appropriate public or private programs that
 7 provide counseling, treatment or support for crime victims, including
 8 but not limited to the following: rape crisis centers, victim/witness
 9 assistance programs, elderly victim services, trauma-informed inter-
 10 vention services, emotional support services, mental health care
 11 services, victim assistance hotlines and domestic violence [shelters]
 12 residential and non-residential services;
 13 § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 642 of the executive law, as amended by
 14 chapter 263 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:
 15 5. Victim assistance education and training, with special consider-
 16 ation to be given to victims of domestic violence, sex offense victims,
 17 sex trafficking victims, elderly victims, child victims, relatives of
 18 missing persons, and the families of homicide victims, shall be given to
 19 persons taking courses at state law enforcement training facilities and
 20 by district attorneys so that victims may be promptly, properly and
 21 completely assisted.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD08157-02-5

 A. 6812--A 2

 1 § 4. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-f-3 to
 2 read as follows:
 3 § 837-f-3. Law enforcement collaboration in missing persons investi-
 4 gations. 1. The commissioner shall, on or before January first, two
 5 thousand twenty-seven, in consultation with the division of state police
 6 and such other qualified agencies and community-based organizations the
 7 commissioner deems appropriate, develop and frequently update a uniform
 8 plan for collaboration between police agencies in missing persons inves-
 9 tigations. Such plan shall involve a pro-active, coordinated response,
 10 planned in advance, that is triggered promptly upon confirmation by a
 11 police officer, peace officer or police agency of a report of a missing
 12 person.
 13 2. Such plans shall, at a minimum, require that:
 14 (a) the name of the missing person, a description of the person and
 15 other pertinent information be promptly dispatched over the police
 16 communication system to all local and state agencies;
 17 (b) there shall be no presumption that persons between the ages of
 18 nineteen and sixty-four are not missing;
 19 (c) the police agency shall ascertain whether the missing person is or
 20 has been the victim of a family offense as defined in subdivision one of
 21 section 530.11 of the criminal procedure law or section eight hundred
 22 twelve of t