A 6631: Restricts a law enforcement officer from initiating a traffic stop for certain violations of the vehicle and traffic law; provides for the suppression or exclusion of evidence obtained in violation of such provisions; relates to the duties of the division of criminal justice services making certain information pertaining to traffic stops public.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6631 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to limiting the frequency of traffic stops for minor violations in furtherance of racial equity and public safety; to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the basis for a motion to suppress or exclude evidence; and to amend the executive law, in relation to the duties of the divi- sion of criminal justice services The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new 2 article 23-A to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 23-A 4 CERTAIN TRAFFIC STOPS RESTRICTED 5 Section 1106. Definitions. 6 1107. Restrictions on traffic stops and searches. 7 1108. Data collection. 8 1109. Effect. 9 § 1106. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following 10 terms shall have the following meanings: 11 (a) "Primary violation" means a violation of this chapter that does 12 not constitute a secondary violation. 13 (b) "Secondary violation" means any of the following: 14 (1) the failure to have a valid certificate of inspection in violation 15 of section three hundred six of this chapter; 16 (2) the failure to have adequate windshield wipers in violation of 17 paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section three hundred seventy-five 18 of this chapter; 19 (3) the failure to have two lighted headlamps, in violation of subpar- 20 agraph one of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section three hundred 21 seventy-five of this chapter if the vehicle has one lighted headlamp; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05359-03-5 
 A. 6631 2 1 (4) the failure to have two lighted lamps on the rear, in violation of 2 subparagraph three of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section three 3 hundred seventy-five of this chapter if the vehicle has one lighted rear 4 lamp; 5 (5) the failure to have a light that illuminates the license plate, in 6 violation of subparagraph four of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of 7 section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter; 8 (6) improper alignment or height of headlights, in violation of para- 9 graph (b) of subdivision two of section three hundred seventy-five of 10 this chapter; 11 (7) excessively bright headlights, in violation of paragraph (c) of 12 subdivision two of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter; 13 (8) obstructed view from a rearview mirror due to an item dangling 14 from the mirror in violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision ten of 15 section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter, unless the driver's 16 view is so obstructed or compromised as to create a condition that 17 increases the likelihood of injury or death; 18 (9) obstructed view from an item on the front windshield in violation 19 of paragraph (a) of subdivision twelve-a of section three hundred seven- 20 ty-five of this chapter unless the driver's view is so obstructed or 21 compromised as to create a condition that increases the likelihood of 22 injury or death; 23 (10) excessive tint in violation of subparagraph one, two, three or 24 four of paragraph (b) of subdivision twelve-a of section three hundred 25 seventy-five of this chapter; 26 (11) obstructed view from an item on the front windshield in violation 27 of subdivision thirty of section three hundred seventy-five of this 28 chapter unless the driver's view is so obstructed or compromised as to 29 create a condition that increases the likelihood of injury or death; 30 (12) the failure to have two stop lamps, in violation of paragraph (b) 31 of subdivision forty of section three hundred seventy-five of this chap- 32 ter if the vehicle has one working stop lamp; 33 (13) excessive noise in violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision 34 three of section three hundred eighty-six of this chapter; 35 (14) expired motor vehicle registration or failure to properly display 36 registration tags, in violation of section four hundred one of this 37 chapter; 38 (15) the failure of a pedestrian to obey a traffic control device, in 39 violation of paragraph three of subdivision (b) of section eleven 40 hundred eleven of this title; 41 (16) the failure of a pedestrian to obey a traffic control device, in 42 violation of paragraph four of subdivision (d) of section eleven hundred 43 eleven of this title; 44 (17) the failure of a pedestrian to obey a traffic control device, in 45 violation of subdivision (b) or (c) of section eleven hundred twelve of 46 this title; 47 (18) crossing the street in a diagonal, in violation of subdivision 48 (c) of section eleven hundred fifty-five of this title; 49 (19) the failure to use the right side of the crosswalk, in violation 50 of section eleven hundred fifty-two of this title; 51 (20) the failure of a pedestrian to use the sidewalk or walk on the 52 left side of the road, in violation of section eleven hundred fifty-six 53 of this title; 54 (21) the failure to signal a turn one hundred feet prior to turning, 55 if such driver has signaled a turn at any time prior to turning, in 
 A. 6631 3 1 violation of subdivision (b) of section eleven hundred sixty-three of 2 this title; 3 (22) any parking infraction in violation of section twelve hundred two 4 of this title. Nothing in this provision shall prevent an officer from 5 asking a driver unlawfully parked, or unlawfully obstructing traffic or 6 a fire hydrant, to move their car; 7 (23) littering, unless an object is thrown from a vehicle in a manner 8 that creates a condition that increases the likelihood of injury or 9 death, in violation of section twelve hundred twenty of this title; or 10 (24) riding a bicycle without the proper lamp, bell, reflective tires 11 or reflective devices, in violation of subdivisions (a), (b), (c), (d) 12 and (e) of section twelve hundred thirty-six of this title, unless the 13 ability to view the bicycle or cyclist is so compromised as to create a 14 condition that substantially increases the likelihood of injury or 15 death. 16 (c) "Officer" means either a police officer as defined in subdivision 17 thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law or a peace 18 officer as defined in section 2.10 of the criminal procedure law. 19 § 1107. Restrictions on traffic stops and searches. (a) (1) Except as 20 provided in paragraph two of this subdivision, an officer shall not 21 stop, arrest, or detain the operator of a motor vehicle or bicycle, or a 22 pedestrian: 23 (i) for a secondary violation or suspicion of a secondary violation as 24 defined in section eleven hundred six of this article; or 25 (ii) based on suspicion or probable cause to believe that the driver 26 or any passenger in the vehicle has an outstanding warrant for a failure 27 to pay an outstanding fine or fee or for a failure to appear in court 28 for any violation level offense. 29 (2) An officer may stop, arrest, or detain the operator of a motor 30 vehicle or bicycle or a pedestrian for a secondary violation if: 31 (i) the officer lawfully stopped or detained the operator or pedestri- 32 an for a primary violation or other offense not enumerated in this chap- 33 ter; or 34 (ii) the operator is driving a commercial vehicle. 35 (3) Notwithstanding paragraph two of this subdivision, an officer 36 shall not stop, detain, or arrest the operator or passenger of a motor 37 vehicle or bicycle, or a pedestrian when the primary reason for the 38 stop, detention, or arrest is the person's race, creed, color, national 39 origin, or other protected status under the human rights law. 40 (4) Evidence derived from a stop based solely on a secondary violation 41 shall be inadmissible in court. 42 (b) (1) Prior to asking for consent to search a vehicle, an officer 43 shall advise an individual of their right to refuse the search. The 44 officer shall provide the driver or passenger with a form setting forth 45 the right to refuse the search, and the driver or passenger must sign a 46 form stating that the driver or passenger has been informed of the right 47 to refuse the search, and waives that right. The information and form 48 must be provided to the driver or passenger in that person's native 49 language. 50 (2) Following a stop for a violation of this chapter, any officer 51 equipped with a body-worn camera must activate the camera. Prior to any 52 search of an individual or their property following such a stop, the 53 officer must state the reason for any search of an individual's person, 54 property or vehicle on the body-worn camera. 55 (3) In any stop other than those based on an alleged violation of 56 subdivision four or four-a of section eleven hundred ninety-two of this 
 A. 6631 4 1 title, or paragraph (e) of subdivision two of section forty-nine-a of 2 the navigation law, or paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section 25.24 3 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, an officer's 4 perception of the odor of cannabis shall not serve as a basis to search 5 a motor vehicle, or to search the driver, occupants, or any of the 6 contents of a motor vehicle. 7 (4) An officer may not use a drug-detection canine on a stopped motor 8 vehicle unless the officer has probable cause to believe either that the 9 motor vehicle contains illegal narcotics (other than cannabis), or that 10 a driver or an occupant of the motor vehicle possesses illegal narcotics 11 (other than cannabis). 12 § 1108. Data collection. (a) No later than January first, two thousand 13 twenty-six, each law enforcement agency subject to the provisions of 14 this article shall begin collecting incident-level data on all traffic 15 stops conducted by officers employed by the law enforcement agency, 16 including all information described in subdivision (c) of this section. 17 (b) No later than January first, two thousand twenty-seven, each law 18 enforcement agency collecting information as provided in this section 19 shall furnish annually to the division of criminal justice services, in 20 a manner defined and prescribed by the division, a report of all stops 21 conducted in the prior year by officers employed by the agency. 22 (c) Each report required under subdivision (b) of this section shall 23 include, at a minimum, the following information for each stop or 24 arrest: 25 (1) the time, date, duration, and location of the stop; 26 (2) the reason for the stop including the penal statute or provision 27 of this chapter alleged to have been violated, if any; 28 (3) the year, make, model, registration number and state of registra- 29 tion of the vehicle; 30 (4) the result of the stop, such as no action, warning, citation, 31 search, use of physical force, entry of information into a data 32 collection database, or arrest; 33 (5) the perceived race or ethnicity, gender, and age of each person 34 stopped; 35 (6) whether the person stopped appeared to be experiencing a mental or 36 other behavioral crisis; 37 (7) actions taken by the officer during the stop, including, but not 38 limited to, the following: 39 (i) whether the officer searched any person, vehicle, or any property, 40 and, if so, the type of search (e.g., pat-down), the basis for the 41 search, and the type of contraband or evidence discovered, if any; 42 (ii) whether the officer asked for consent to search the person or any 43 property, and, if so, whether consent was provided; 44 (iii) whether the officer seized any property and, if so, a 45 description of all property seized and the basis for the seizure; 46 (iv) if weapons, marijuana or controlled substances were seized, 47 detailed descriptions of such items including weight of any substances, 48 and make and model of any weapons; 49 (v) whether the officer used physical force against any person and, if 50 so, the type of force used, including whether any weapon was used; 51 (vi) if anyone, whether officer or civilian, was injured, a 52 description of all injuries to each person, whether treatment was 53 provided, and the facility, if any, at which treatment was provided; 54 (vii) whether the officer pointed a firearm or a conducted energy 55 device at any person; 
 A. 6631 5 1 (viii) whether a police dog performed a sniff, and if so, whether the 2 dog alerted to the presence of contraband; 3 (ix) whether the officer ordered any person to exit the vehicle and if 4 so, where such person was detained; 5 (x) whether the officer handcuffed or otherwise physically restrained 6 any person during the stop, such as by placing a person in a police 7 vehicle; and 8 (xi) whether the officer checked, or asked dispatch to check, for any 9 outstanding warrants for the person; 10 (8) if a traffic summons or ticket was issued, the violation or 11 violations alleged; 12 (9) if an arrest was made, the offense or offenses charged; 13 (10) the following information about the officer conducting the stop: 14 (i) the officer's unique identification number; and 15 (ii) the nature of the officer's assignment; 16 (11) whether anyone died as a result of the encounter; 17 (12) whether there was a motor vehicle accident; and 18 (13) whether the stop resulted in the seizure and/or impoundment of 19 the vehicle, and the basis for such seizure. 20 (d) Law enforcement agencies subject to this section shall not report 21 or make publicly available the address, social security number, or other 22 unique personal identifying information of the persons stopped, 23 searched, or subjected to a property seizure. Law enforcement agencies 24 are solely responsible for ensuring that restricted information of the 25 individual stopped is not transmitted to the department of criminal 26 justice or otherwise released to the public. 27 (e) Each law enforcement agency covered by this section shall develop 28 and make publicly available a policy governing review and auditing of 29 stop data collected to ensure officer compliance with the requirements 30 of this article. 31 § 1109. Effect. (a) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 32 preempt or limit existing remedies or causes of action that may be trig- 33 gered by violations of this article. 34 (b) (1) This article shall supercede any local law or ordinance that 35 would expand the bases for an officer to engage in a stop, search, cita- 36 tion, detention, arrest, or questioning beyond those specifically 37 enumerated in this article, or otherwise conflict with or frustrate the 38 purpose of any provision of this article. 39 (2) This article shall not preempt local laws that would restrict 40 further the role of law enforcement officers in traffic enforcement, 41 including by: 42 (i) assigning certain traffic enforcement functions to local officials 43 or personnel who are authorized to conduct such functions instead of 44 sworn law enforcement officers; or 45 (ii) placing additional limits on officer conduct or questioning 46 during traffic stops. 47 § 2. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new section 48 60.77 to read as follows: 49 § 60.77 Rules of evidence; admissibility of evidence derived from the 50 unlawful stop of a motor vehicle, bicyclist or pedestrian. 51 1. Evidence derived from the unlawful stop of a motor vehicle, bicy- 52 clist or pedestrian by a law enforcement officer that was primarily 53 based on a person's race, creed, color, national origin, or other status 54 protected under the human rights law, shall be inadmissible in a crimi- 55 nal action against such person or any other person whose freedom of 56 movement was affected by the stop. 
 A. 6631 6 1 2. For purposes of this section a stop is unlawful when, notwithstand- 2 ing the existence of probable cause or reasonable suspicion to believe a 3 person has committed a traffic infraction or a petty offense defined in 4 any city, town or village code, the law enforcement officer would not 5 have initiated the stop but for a person's race, creed, color, national 6 origin or other status protected under the human rights law. 7 3. A motion to exclude evidence pursuant to this section shall be made 8 and determined in the same manner as a pre-trial motion to suppress 9 evidence pursuant to article seven hundred ten of this chapter, and the 10 defendant shall bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the 11 evidence that the stop was unlawful within the meaning of this section. 12 In evaluating the motion to exclude, the court shall consider the nature 13 of the traffic infraction or offense giving rise to the stop, the law 14 enforcement officer's usual duties with respect to enforcement of the 15 vehicle and traffic law or city, town or village code provision, any 16 evidence of a pattern of discriminatory enforcement of such law within 17 the jurisdiction, and any other evidence that may prove or disprove that 18 such law was a pretext for an unlawful stop within the meaning of this 19 section. 20 4. An order granting a motion to exclude evidence pursuant to this 21 section shall be appealable by the people in the same manner as an order 22 suppressing evidence pursuant to subdivision eight of section 450.20 of 23 this chapter, and an order denying a motion shall be appealable by the 24 defendant pursuant to section 450.10 of this chapter. 25 § 3. Section 837 of the executive law is amended by adding a new 26 subdivision 24 to read as follows: 27 24. Accept information from law enforcement agencies pursuant to 28 subdivision (c) of section eleven hundred eight of the vehicle and traf- 29 fic law and make the information, including the unique identification 30 number of the officer making the stop, publicly available online in a 31 manner that is clear, understandable, analyzable, and accessible to the 32 public. 33 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 34 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law.