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Bill

S 10604

Provides additional protection to judges and their family members under the Judicial Security Act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Luis Sepúlveda

Strengthens judges’ privacy by allowing written requests to restrict disclosure of extensive personal data and requires prompt removal by third parties.

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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Bill Summary · S 10604

Summary of Bill S.10604 (2025-2026) — New York Judicial Security Act enhancements

Purpose and intent

  • The bill amends the judiciary law to provide additional protection for judges and their immediate family members by strengthening safeguards around the disclosure of personal information.
  • It builds on provisions from a 2024 act (part F of chapter 55) and expands protections to cover more entities and scenarios, with the goal of reducing public exposure of sensitive personal data.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definition updates (Section 1)

    • Expands and clarifies “immediate family” to include: spouse, former spouse, domestic partner, former domestic partner, parent, child, and sibling.
    • Broadens “personal information” to include extensive data elements such as home addresses (primary and secondary), unlisted phone numbers, personal cell phone, personal email, Social Security number, driver’s license number, license plate, marital status and spouse/partner details, names and addresses of children, school/daycare locations, bank and card numbers, and personal identification numbers (PINs).

  • Written request process for privacy (Section 2)

    • Eligible individuals (judges or their family members) or their representatives may submit a written request to their employer or former employer to keep specified personal information private.
    • The written request must specify:
    • Items of personal information to be kept private.
    • Identity of immediate family members to be treated as covered by the request.
    • Which persons, businesses, associations, or agencies should be barred from releasing the information.
    • If known, the specific records and locations containing the information to be restricted.

  • Notification and enforcement of privacy requests (Section 3)

    • Upon proper, complete submission, employers must notify identified third parties within seven days that they must cease public disclosure within 72 hours of notification.
    • Notification to third parties may be by certified mail (residence or principal office) or by email/other reasonable means.
    • This applies to state-level judges and, where relevant, active or former federal judges serving in New York.

  • Employer role clarified (Section 4)

    • Defines the “employer” for purposes of the law as the Chief Administrator of the Courts for state-paid judges and housing-part judges in NYC.
    • Requires written consent from an immediate family member over age 18 before a county clerk can cease publishing that family member’s residential address (if the request seeks to restrict such disclosure).

  • Retention and withdrawal of restrictions (Section 5)

    • After notification, recipients have 72 hours to stop publishing the personal information.
    • The privacy protections stay in place unless:
    • A notarized release for a limited period/purpose is provided by the eligible individual.
    • A notarized withdrawal of the written request is submitted.
    • The eligible individual’s death triggers authorization from the court-appointed estate representative.
    • A court orders disclosure.

  • Agency and system-wide implementation (Section 6)

    • Chief Administrator of the Courts may develop procedures to prevent disclosure of personal information within the unified court system.

  • Effective date (Section 7)

    • Takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

  • Eligible individuals: Active or former judges/justices of the unified court system and housing-part judges in NYC.
  • Immediate family members: Spouses, partners, parents, children, siblings (and their sensitive personal information if the individual selects to include them).
  • Employers and third parties: State and certain federal entities, employers, record custodians, and public/private agencies that may hold or publish personal data.
  • Administrative bodies: Chief Administrator of the Courts and county clerks, with procedures to protect privacy and define consent processes.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Written privacy requests must be signed and specify the scope, recipients, and records involved.
  • Notification to third parties must occur within five business days of receipt of a complete request, and third parties must stop disclosure within 72 hours of notification.
  • The privacy embargo remains in place unless a release, withdrawal, estate authorization, or court order permits disclosure.
  • The Chief Administrator can establish procedures to operationalize these protections across the unified court system.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Strengthens protection against public exposure of highly sensitive personal data for judges and their families.
  • Improves control over who can publish or access personal information and provides a streamlined mechanism to challenge or revoke disclosures.
  • May affect data-sharing practices by employers, state and local agencies, and public websites that host court-related information.
  • Introduces consent and estate-authorization pathways, ensuring due process in exceptional circumstances (e.g., death of the individual).

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to the 2024 Judicial Security Act provisions to highlight what is added or changed.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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