New York S 1274: Reforms the commission on forensic science; and makes conforming changes; repealer

Bill Text

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S01274 Summary:

BILL NOS01274 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A03969

&nbsp

SPONSORGIANARIS

&nbsp

COSPNSRHOYLMAN-SIGAL

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§995, 995-b, 995-e & 995-c, rpld §995 sub 9, §995-a, add §§995-a & 995-aa, Exec L; amd §17-208, NYC Ad
Cd

&nbsp

Updates the membership, powers, duties and procedures of the commission on forensic science; establishes the scientific advisory committee, the social justice, ethics, and equity assessment committee and the forensic analyst license advisory committee; makes conforming changes.

Go to top S01274 Actions:

BILL NOS01274 

&nbsp

01/09/2025REFERRED TO INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY

01/07/2026REFERRED TO INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY

Go to topS01274 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01274 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS01274 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1274

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 9, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Internet
 and Technology

 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to reforming the commis-
 sion on forensic science; and to amend the executive law and the
 administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to making
 conforming changes; and to repeal certain provisions of the executive
 law relating thereto

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2, 4 and 8 of section 995 of the executive
 2 law, as added by chapter 737 of the laws of 1994 and subdivision 1 as
 3 amended by chapter 209 of the laws of 2021, are amended to read as
 4 follows:
 5 1. [For purposes of general forensic analysis the term "forensic]
 6 "Forensic laboratory" shall mean any agency, section of any agency, or
 7 laboratory operated by [the state or unit of local government], or
 8 contracted with, a state or local law enforcement unit, inclusive of but
 9 not limited to sheriffs' offices, police departments, district attor-
 10 ney's offices and probation departments, that performs forensic testing
 11 on evidence in a criminal investigation or proceeding or for purposes of
 12 identification.
 13 2. [For purposes of forensic DNA analysis, the term "forensic DNA
 14 laboratory" shall mean any forensic laboratory operated by the state or
 15 unit of local government, that performs forensic DNA testing on crime
 16 scenes or materials derived from the human body for use as evidence in a
 17 criminal proceeding or for purposes of identification and the term
 18 "forensic DNA] "Forensic testing" shall mean any test or examination
 19 that employs techniques to examine [deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) derived
 20 from the human body] physical, chemical, digital, or biometric proper-
 21 ties of evidence or data for the purpose of [providing information to

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01337-01-5

 S. 1274 2

 1 resolve issues of identification] determining the connection of evidence
 2 or data to a criminal action or to resolve issues of identity pertaining
 3 to criminal investigations or surveillance, provided, however that the
 4 use of mobile forensic digital tools to extract data from cellphones and
 5 computers by a police agency shall not be subject to the provisions of
 6 this article. Regulation pursuant to this article shall not include
 7 [DNA] deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing on materials derived from the
 8 human body pursuant to title five of article five of the public health
 9 law for the purpose of determining a person's genetic disease or medical
 10 condition and shall not include a laboratory operated by the federal
 11 government.
 12 4. "Blind external proficiency testing" means a test [sample] that [is
 13 presented] appears to [a] the forensic [laboratory for forensic DNA
 14 testing through a second agency, and which appears to the analysts to
 15 involve routine evidence submitted for forensic DNA testing] analysts to
 16 involve routine evidence. The purpose of such a test is to evaluate the
 17 forensic analysts� performance