A 8173: Requires municipalities and other public officials to retain security recordings for a minimum of fifteen months.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8173 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY May 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to retaining certain security recordings for a minimum period of fifteen months 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 cited as the "safekeeping and 2 access to video evidence (SAVE) act". 3 § 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 54 4 to read as follows: 5 § 54. Retention of public security recordings by local governments. 1. 6 Any local government that operates public security cameras in public 7 spaces that are accessible to the general public, including but not 8 limited to streets, subways, transportation terminals, parks, stadiums, 9 government buildings, construction sites, hospitals, and other govern- 10 ment property, shall retain video recordings made by such cameras and 11 shall not erase or overwrite such recordings for a minimum period of 12 fifteen months from the date of recording. 13 2. Any local government that, in connection with the operation of a 14 police department, fire department, ambulance or healthcare service, 15 operates cameras that record interactions between public officials and 16 members of the public, shall retain such video recordings and shall not 17 erase or overwrite such recordings for a minimum period of fifteen 18 months from the date of recording. 19 3. If a local government has notice of a legal claim against such 20 local government, the local government shall retain such video 21 recordings and shall not erase or overwrite such recordings until either 22 the end of the litigation or fifteen months from the date of recording, 23 whichever comes later. 24 4. The video recordings shall be stored in a secure manner that 25 ensures their integrity and prevents unauthorized access, tampering, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11874-01-5 
 A. 8173 2 1 overwriting, or deletion before the expiration of the time periods set 2 forth in this section. 3 5. The video recordings shall be stored in a shared drive that is 4 accessible to officials who are responsible for responding to informa- 5 tion made pursuant to article six of the public officers law. 6 6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to: (a) prevent a muni- 7 cipality from retaining video recordings for a period longer than 8 fifteen months or for any purpose; (b) require a municipality to operate 9 security cameras or make video recordings in connection with any govern- 10 ment operation; or (c) require, allow, or prevent public access to any 11 recording in contradiction of any current law, rule or regulation or 12 court order. 13 7. This section shall not apply to any recording that is ordered by a 14 court to be deleted, destroyed, or redacted. 15 8. For purposes of this section, "local government" means any county, 16 city, town, village, school district, board of cooperative educational 17 services, local public benefit corporation or other municipal corpo- 18 ration or political subdivision of the state, or of such local govern- 19 ment, including any public authority operated in whole or in part by a 20 local government, within the state of New York. 21 § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 22 have become a law.