New York Assembly Bill A05334

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires law enforcement agents and peace officers to record information in their memo books pertaining to the race of persons with whom they have meaningful interactions.

Summary

A05334 would amend the New York Executive Law to require every law enforcement agent and peace officer to record the race of each person with whom they have a “meaningful interaction” while performing official duties. The bill defines meaningful interaction broadly to include, but not be limited to, conversations during traffic stops, while excluding casual conversations that are unrelated to investigatory duties. The measure is aimed at creating a written record in officers’ memo books of race-based interaction data during policing activities. By requiring this documentation, the bill would establish a new recordkeeping obligation for law enforcement personnel and could generate information used to evaluate policing practices, including traffic enforcement and other field encounters.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new section 837-y to the Executive Law and impose a statewide recordkeeping requirement on law enforcement agents and peace officers. It would affect police departments and individual officers by mandating that race be recorded for qualifying interactions, likely influencing internal documentation practices, oversight, and potential future analysis of enforcement patterns. The bill does not create a reporting system in the text, but it would require officers to maintain these records in their memo books immediately upon enactment.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and accountability proposal rather than a punitive one. Its sponsors likely view it as a tool for documenting police-civilian interactions and supporting oversight of law enforcement activity. Because there is no transcript or vote history provided, there is no direct evidence of formal support or opposition in the available materials.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the requirement that officers record race during every meaningful interaction, which could raise concerns about administrative burden, privacy, and the scope of what counts as a qualifying encounter. Supporters would likely emphasize the value of collecting data on traffic stops and other investigatory contacts to monitor bias and improve accountability. Opponents may argue that the term “meaningful interaction” is broad or that the mandate could be difficult to implement consistently across agencies and officers.