S 8462: Prohibits local, state and federal law enforcement officers from wearing any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties; excludes certain protective masks.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8462 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE July 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. FAHY, SALAZAR, MAYER, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 838-c 2 to read as follows: 3 § 838-c. Masks and disguises prohibited. 1. A law enforcement officer 4 shall not wear any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the 5 public in the performance of their duties, except for medical grade 6 masks that are surgical or N95 respirators designed to prevent the tran- 7 smission of airborne diseases, masks designed to protect against expo- 8 sure to smoke during a fire involved situation, masks necessary to 9 perform duties during a water rescue operation, masks related to 10 protection against exposure to biological or chemical agents during an 11 incident where such agents may be present, or masks designed to protect 12 against exposure to cold during a declared weather emergency. 13 2. Notwithstanding subdivision one of this section, special weapons 14 and tactics (SWAT) team officers are permitted to utilize gear necessary 15 to protect their faces from physical harm while they perform their SWAT 16 responsibilities. 17 3. All law enforcement officers shall be clearly identified by their 18 name or badge number on their uniforms. 19 4. For the purposes of this section, "law enforcement officer" shall 20 mean any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, 21 or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law 22 enforcement agency. 23 5. A violation of this section shall be punishable as a misdemeanor. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13411-02-5 
 S. 8462 2 1 § 2. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi- 2 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of 3 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, 4 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in 5 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section 6 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg- 7 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of 8 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such 9 invalid provisions had not been included herein. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.