Requires body armor worn by New York city emergency services personnel to be replaced every five years

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 2 co-sponsors

Requires NYC EMS body armor to be replaced every five years, meeting NIJ standards, with the Commissioner selecting suitable armor and ensuring compliance.

SUBSTITUTED BY A79

Overview

S.10186 is a New York Senate bill introduced in the 2025-2026 session. It amends the NYC Administrative Code to require body armor worn by New York City emergency services personnel to be replaced every five years. The measure targets emergency medical services (EMS) personnel within the NYC Fire Department’s EMS bureau and aligns replacement timing with a standardized lifecycle.

Purpose and intent

Ensure ongoing protection for NYC emergency medical services personnel by mandating a uniform five-year replacement cycle for body armor.

Clarify that the armor must meet specified standards for ballistic and stab resistance as determined by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) or any successor standards.

Build on existing requirements established by local law (Local Law 60 of 2024) to formalize periodic replacement.

Key provisions

Amends Subdivision (a) of section 15-148 of the NYC Administrative Code (as added by Local Law 60 of 2024).

Requires the NYC Commissioner to provide body armor to all employees of the department’s EMS bureau who provide emergency medical services.

The armor must be:

of a type deemed most suitable by the Commissioner for protecting EMS personnel.
compliant with ballistic and stab resistance standards established by the NIJ or its successor standards.

Establishes a mandatory replacement interval: armor must be replaced every five years.

Effective date: the act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

NYC Department of Investigation? (No) – Specifically the city’s EMS personnel within the Emergency Medical Services bureau.

EMS personnel who provide emergency medical services and wear body armor.

NYC Commissioner (likely Commissioner of the NYC Fire Department EMS bureau) responsible for selecting armor type and ensuring compliance with replacement timelines.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction date: May 4, 2026.

Committee pathway: Referred to the Cities Committee; subsequently discharged to Rules and then placed on the calendar for third reading (as of the latest action). Substituted by A079 and moved through the standard legislative process.

Effective date: Immediate upon enactment.

Potential impact

Operationally, EMS personnel would have a mandated five-year lifecycle for their body armor, potentially improving protection standards and equipment reliability.

May drive budget implications for the city to fund regular replacements on a five-year cycle.

Sets or reinforces compliance with NIJ or successor standards, ensuring armor meets recognized safety benchmarks.

Clarifies that replacement duties and standards are overseen by the NYC Commissioner, who can determine the most suitable armor type for EMS personnel.