New York S 6345: Enacts the New York civil rights cold case records collection act

Bill Text

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S06345 Summary:

BILL NOS06345 

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SAME ASSAME AS A01482

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SPONSORSANDERS

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COSPNSRMAY, MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 57-C §§57.60 - 57.63, Arts & Cul L

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Enacts the New York civil rights cold case records collection act; directs the state archivist to create a civil rights cold case records collection; creates the civil rights cold case records review board which shall assist the archivist in the collection of civil rights cold case records.

Go to top S06345 Actions:

BILL NOS06345 

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03/11/2025REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

Go to topS06345 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06345 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS06345 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6345

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 11, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, MAY, MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR -- read twice
 and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
 on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation

 AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to enact-
 ing the New York civil rights cold case records collection act

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

 1 Section 1. The arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
 2 new article 57-C to read as follows:
 3 ARTICLE 57-C
 4 NEW YORK CIVIL RIGHTS
 5 COLD CASE RECORDS COLLECTION ACT
 6 Section 57.60. Definitions.
 7 57.61. Civil rights cold case records collection.
 8 57.62. Grounds for postponement of public disclosure.
 9 57.63. Civil rights cold case records review board; establish-
 10 ment and powers.
 11 § 57.60. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following
 12 terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "Civil rights cold case"
 13 means any unsolved case occurring within a jurisdiction in New York
 14 state arising out of events which occurred during the period beginning
 15 on January first, nineteen hundred forty and ending on December thirty-
 16 first, nineteen hundred seventy-nine, and involving:
 17 (a) conspiracy against rights under 18 USC § 241;
 18 (b) deprivation of rights under color of law under 18 USC § 242;
 19 (c) federally protected activities under 18 USC § 245;
 20 (d) peonage and involuntary servitude under 18 USC § 1581 and 18 USC §
 21 1584; or
 22 (e) the Fair Housing Act under 42 U.S.C. 3631.
 23 2. "Civil rights cold case record" means a New York state record that:
 24 (a) is related to a civil rights cold case;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00250-01-5

 S. 6345 2

 1 (b) was created or made available for use by, obtained by, or other-
 2 wise came into the possession of the New York state archives or any
 3 state agency; and
 4 (c) any New York state local government, or component thereof, that
 5 provided support or assistance or performed work in connection with a
 6 federal inquiry into a civil rights cold case.
 7 3. "The archivist" means the state archivist of the New York state
 8 archives.
 9 4. "The collection" means the civil rights cold case records
 10 collection established under section 57.61 of this article.
 11 5. "Official investigation" means the review of a civil rights cold
 12 case conducted by any entity of the federal government, a New York state
 13 agency, or any local government in New York state.
 14 6. "Public interest" means the compelling interest in the prompt
 15 public disclosure of civil rights cold case records for historical and
 16 governmental purposes and for the purpose of fully informing the people
 17 of New York.
 18 7. "Review board" means the civil rights cold case records review
 19 board established under section 57.63 of this article.
 20 8. "State agency" means any state board, body, bureau, commission,
 21 council, department, executive agency, public authority, public corpo-
 22 ration, division, office, or other governmental entity performing a
 23 governmental or proprietary function for the state, but shall not
 24 include the state legislat