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Home/Bills/S 38New York · 2025–2026 Legislative Session
Senate BillIntroduced

S 38: Relates to crimes against public trust by state officers; requires such state officers' salary to be suspended pending indictment for such crimes; if convicted requires such state officers to pay back the portion of their salary beginning with the pay period immediately proceeding the date upon which the first convicted offense occurred.

New York · Senate · 2025–2026 Legislative Session · last verified January 10, 2026

What S 38 does, verified January 10, 2026

The bill aims to amend the Public Officers Law to address crimes against public trust by state officers. It introduces a new section 79-a, which states that if a state officer is indicted for a crime involving public trust, their salary will be suspended pending the indictment. If convicted, they will have to repay all monies earned during the suspension period. If not convicted, the suspension will cease, and they will receive repayment for any unpaid monies. The bill defines "crime involving public trust" to include various forms of bribery, corruption, and official misconduct as outlined in the Penal Law. The amendments take effect immediately.

Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE (2026-01-07)Alert me
Recent actions2 total · showing 2
Jan. 07, 2026REFERRED TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE
Jan. 08, 2025REFERRED TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE
Latest bill textIntroduced version, January 8, 2025 · 546 words
  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 38 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. WALCZYK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Ethics and Internal Gover- nance AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to crimes against public trust by state officers 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 may be cited as "the halt 2 crimes against public trust act". 3 § 2. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 79-a 4 to read as follows: 5 § 79-a. Crimes against public trust by state officers. 1. (a) Any 6 state officer indicted for a crime involving public trust shall have 7 their salary for such official position suspended pending such indict- 8 ment. 9 (b) Where the indictment results in a conviction of a crime against 10 public trust, all monies earned by such state officer for such official 11 position beginning with the pay period immediately proceeding the date 12 upon which the first convicted offense occurred shall be paid back to 13 the state by such state officer. 14 (c) Where the indictment does not result in a conviction of a crime 15 against public trust, such suspension shall cease and such state officer 16 shall be paid back all monies not paid to such state officer during such 17 suspension. 18 2. For purposes of this section the term "crime involving public 19 trust" shall include bribery in the first degree as defined in section 20 200.04 of the penal law, bribery in the second degree as defined in 21 section 200.03 of the penal law, bribery in the third degree as defined 22 in section 200.00 of the penal law, bribe receiving in the first degree 23 as defined in section 200.12 of the penal law, bribe receiving in the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00087-01-5 

 S. 38 2 1 second degree as defined in section 200.11 of the penal law, bribe 2 receiving in the third degree as defined in section 200.10 of the penal 3 law, corrupting the government in the first degree as defined in section 4 496.05 of the penal law, corrupting the government in the second degree 5 as defined in section 496.04 of the penal law, corrupting the government 6 in the third degree as defined in section 496.03 of the penal law, 7 corrupting the government in the fourth degree as defined in section 8 496.02 of the penal law, rewarding official misconduct in the first 9 degree as defined in section 200.22 of the penal law, rewarding official 10 misconduct in the second degree as defined in section 200.20 of the 11 penal law, receiving reward for official misconduct in the first degree 12 as defined in section 200.27 of the penal law, and receiving reward for 13 official misconduct in the second degree as defined in section 200.25 of 14 the penal law. 15 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. 

Text of S 38 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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