New York Senate Bill S03903

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/25
• Refer: 1/30/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to the issuance of arrest warrants and appearance tickets upon a youth; provides for the police officer to immediately notify the parent or other person legally responsible for the care of such youth with whom the youth is domiciled that the youth has been arrested; provides further that the police officer need not notify the parent or other person legally responsible when such youth is not also a juvenile offender and the notification would endanger the health and safety of such youth.

Summary

S03903 would amend the Criminal Procedure Law to expand and clarify parental or guardian notification requirements when a young person is arrested or served with an appearance ticket. The bill adds “youth” as defined in the juvenile justice provisions to existing notification rules for juvenile offenders and adolescent offenders, requiring police to immediately notify the parent or other person legally responsible for the youth’s care, or the person with whom the youth lives, of the arrest, detention location, or appearance ticket details. The bill also preserves existing protections for police questioning of juveniles and covered youth, including advisement of the right to remain silent, the right to counsel, and the right to appointed counsel if indigent. It further allows an exception to parental notification when the youth is not also a juvenile offender and notifying the parent or responsible adult would endanger the youth’s health or safety. The measure is intended to standardize notice procedures and extend them to additional youth interactions with law enforcement.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would amend sections 120.90, 140.20, and 150.20 of the Criminal Procedure Law. It would broaden mandatory notification duties for police officers by adding youth served with appearance tickets and by expressly including youth in arrest-notification provisions, while also creating a safety-based exception to notification. The bill would affect law enforcement agencies, parents or guardians, youth subject to criminal process, and courts handling juvenile and youth cases, but it would not change the underlying offenses or penalties.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to reflect a protective, procedural approach to juvenile justice. Its stated purpose and structure suggest support for family involvement and clearer notice to responsible adults when young people are taken into custody or directed to court. No contrary sentiment is documented in the provided materials, and there is no recorded vote history to indicate opposition or support levels.

Contention

The main policy tension in the bill is between parental notification and youth safety. The bill requires notice to a parent or responsible adult in most cases, but carves out an exception when the youth is not also a juvenile offender and notification would endanger the youth’s health or safety. Another potential point of contention is the expansion of notification duties to “youth” served with appearance tickets, which may raise implementation questions for police about identifying covered individuals and determining when the safety exception applies. No specific stakeholder objections are included in the provided record.