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NY A10072
Bill
Status
1/30/2026
Primary Sponsor
Jordan Wright
Click for details
AI Summary
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Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop and publish "race-blind charging" guidelines by January 1, 2027, mandating all prosecution agencies implement a process where initial case reviews are conducted with racial identifiers of suspects, victims, and witnesses removed or redacted
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Beginning January 1, 2028, prosecution agencies must redact police reports and criminal history documentation before conducting an initial charging evaluation, which determines only whether to charge (not specific charges), followed by a second complete review with unredacted materials
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Redaction may be performed mechanically, by hand (by personnel not involved in charging), or through automated computer programming, and may apply to entire reports or just narrative portions
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Requires documentation when initial race-blind evaluation and second review reach different charging decisions, with explanations retained in case records and disclosed upon request after sentencing or dismissal
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Excludes certain case types from race-blind review requirements, including homicides, hate crimes, domestic violence, sex crimes, gang crimes, public integrity cases, and cases with voluminous financial documentation where redaction is impractical
Legislative Description
Requires the department of criminal justice services to develop, issue, and publish "race-blind charging" guidelines for a process whereby all prosecution agencies that prosecute criminal violations of the law as felonies or misdemeanors, shall implement a process by which an initial review of a case for potential charging is performed based on information, including police reports and criminal histories from the department of justice, from which direct means of identifying the race of the suspect, victim, or witness have been removed.
Last Action
referred to governmental operations
1/30/2026