New York A 8042: Relates to enacting the safe subways act creating a safety command force

Bill Text

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A08042 Summary:

BILL NOA08042 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORRajkumar

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §§1266-n - 1266-p, amd §1279, Pub Auth L; amd §240.35, Pen L

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Enacts the safe subways act creating a subway safety command force responsible for coordinating public safety, homelessness intervention services, the orderly flow of riders in and out of the subway system, compliance with fare collection, and the cosmetic appearance of subway trains and stations.

Go to top A08042 Actions:

BILL NOA08042 

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04/22/2025referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

01/07/2026referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

Go to topA08042 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA08042 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA08042 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 8042

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 April 22, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to creating the
 subway safety command and command force; and to amend the penal law,
 in relation to loitering in a subway station

 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 the "safe
 2 subways act".
 3 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding three new
 4 sections 1266-n, 1266-o and 1266-p to read as follows:
 5 § 1266-n. Subway safety command and command force. 1. The authority is
 6 hereby authorized and empowered to provide and maintain a subway safety
 7 command and a safety command force, in addition and complementary to the
 8 authority's existing personnel and police force. The subway safety
 9 command shall operate and administer a safety command force, as further
 10 defined in subdivision two of this section. Such command force shall be
 11 a subsidiary of and work in conjunction with the authority and the
 12 authority police force. In consultation with the authority police force,
 13 the New York city police department, the New York city department of
 14 homeless services and the New York city department of health and mental
 15 hygiene, the subway safety command and command force shall be responsi-
 16 ble for:
 17 (a) coordinating public safety;
 18 (b) homelessness intervention services;
 19 (c) the orderly flow of riders in and out of the subway system;
 20 (d) compliance with fare collection; and
 21 (e) the cosmetic appearance of subway trains and stations.
 22 2. The subway safety command shall consist of civilian employees
 23 including, but not limited to, social workers, office and administrative
 24 staff, information technology staff, and healthcare providers such as

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11624-04-5

 A. 8042 2

 1 nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians. The number of such staff
 2 and any additional staff shall be determined by the authority, the
 3 command chief, or authorized representatives thereof. Any employee
 4 providing medical, legal, or other services requiring licensure shall be
 5 duly licensed to do so in this state. Any member of the command force
 6 shall have one or more of the following qualifications:
 7 (i) a baccalaureate degree in social work or substantially related
 8 field and three years of experience in homelessness intervention
 9 services;
 10 (ii) a master's degree or higher in social work or substantially
 11 related field and two years of experience in homelessness intervention
 12 services;
 13 (iii) licensure as a clinical or master social worker and two years of
 14 experience in homelessness intervention services; or
 15 (iv) a formerly unhoused person with at least five years of experience
 16 in homelessness intervention services.
 17 3. (a) Members of the safety command force shall be known as "safety
 18 officers". Each member of such command force shall be a "police officer"
 19 for the purposes of the criminal procedure law, with all of the powers
 20 of such police officers thereunder and s