New York Senate Bill S04718

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to access to reports of child abuse and maltreatment by criminal justice agencies; requires the office of children and family services to establish a centralized database of reports of child abuse and maltreatment for criminal justice agencies to access in the performance of their duties; defines criminal justice agencies.

Summary

This bill amends New York’s Social Services Law to expand and formalize access to child abuse and maltreatment reports for criminal justice agencies. It requires the Office of Children and Family Services to create and maintain a centralized database containing reports made under the child protective services title, along with related information such as reports, photographs, and other materials held by the state or local departments. The database would be available to specified criminal justice agencies, including district attorneys, prosecutors’ investigators, state and local police, sheriffs, park police, and Indian police officers, for use in the performance of their duties. The bill also revises existing confidentiality and disclosure rules governing access to child abuse and maltreatment records. It preserves restrictions on public disclosure of identifying information about reporters and subjects, but clarifies when certain officials and agencies may receive information and how it may be shared to facilitate investigations. It also allows local social services commissioners to withhold information if disclosure is not relevant to the request or would be detrimental to the child, and provides a process for written denial and judicial review under Article 78.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would change section 422 of the Social Services Law by repealing one existing access provision and replacing it with a new centralized-access framework for criminal justice agencies. It would require OCFS to build and maintain a statewide database and establish a mechanism for local departments to transmit reports and related materials. The measure would also narrow or reorganize several existing cross-references in the statute, while preserving confidentiality protections and the ability of local commissioners to deny or limit disclosure in appropriate cases. Affected parties include child protective agencies, prosecutors, law enforcement, local social services departments, and individuals named in or reporting child abuse and maltreatment cases.

Sentiment

The bill appears to be framed as an administrative and law-enforcement access measure rather than a broad policy overhaul, and the available context does not show recorded committee debate or votes. Based on the text, its general orientation is supportive of investigative access and coordination among criminal justice agencies, while still retaining confidentiality safeguards for children and reporters. Because no transcripts or vote history are provided, there is no documented public sentiment in the record beyond the bill’s stated purpose and structure.

Contention

The main point of tension is the balance between improving access for criminal justice agencies and protecting the privacy and safety of children, families, and mandated reporters. Supporters would likely emphasize faster, more complete access to child abuse records for prosecutors and police, especially through a centralized database. Potential concerns would come from child welfare advocates or privacy-focused stakeholders worried about overbroad access, misuse of sensitive information, or the impact of expanded sharing on reporter confidentiality and child safety. The bill tries to address these concerns by keeping disclosure limits, allowing commissioners to withhold harmful or irrelevant information, and preserving judicial review of denials.