Bill > A07198

This bill adds a new section to the public officers law that establishes criminal penalties for public officers or employees who intentionally release sealed records to unauthorized individuals. Specifically, the bill defines that any public officer who discloses a sealed record to an unauthorized person, when they know or should reasonably know the record is sealed, will be guilty of a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 with no potential imprisonment. The bill provides several exceptions to this rule, such as allowing the subject of a sealed record to disclose their own information, permitting disclosure before a sealing order is issued, allowing discussions of events without revealing specific record contents, and enabling disclosure in good faith when an officer believes the recipient is entitled to the information. The bill also precisely defines "sealed record" as records that must be sealed under specific sections of criminal procedure law and family court act, and defines an "unauthorized person" as someone not legally entitled to access the sealed record. These provisions aim to protect the confidentiality of sensitive legal records while providing some flexibility for legitimate disclosure scenarios.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7198