Senate bill · S8127 (2025-26)

Relates to non-Indian trespass and drug trafficking activities within Indian lands, and to criminal law enforcement activities within Seneca nation lands

Latest action Dec 19, 2025

Relates to intrusions upon lands owned or occupied by any nation, tribe or band of Indians, and to drug trafficking activities within Indian lands; provides that the district attorney of a county in which reservation lands are situated, upon application of a person designated by the laws of a nation, tribe or band to make such application, shall make complaint of intrusions on such lands and cause intruders to be removed; provides that the governor, the superintendent of state police, a sheriff of a county that includes lands of the Seneca nation, or the chief of police of the city of Salamanca, may, at the request of the Seneca nation, enter into an agreement with the Seneca nation governing the terms and conditions of criminal law enforcement activities within the nation's Indian County lands; provides that such agreements shall be given full force and effect by the courts of the state.

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Where it stands

Signed into law.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A8289, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A8289, the matching Assembly bill.

Amends the Indian Law.

Committee

Investigations And Government Operations · New York State Senate

Also referred to Judiciary · New York State Assembly, Judiciary · New York State Senate, Rules · New York State Assembly, Rules · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this legislation is to strengthen the authority of Indian nations to protect their lands from unauthorized occupation, illegal dumping, criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking, and unpermit- ted business operations, and to formalize state-tribal cooperation in criminal law enforcement.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 10, 2025Result: passedSenate vote on A8289, the matching Assembly bill.
(57) (1) (0) (5)
Vote: Committee vote · Investigations And Government Operations
Senate Investigations And Government OperationsMay 28, 2025Result: passed
(7) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Angelo J. Morinello, George Borrello and 1 more on Agora

Republican3

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

This legislation will provide tribal nations, particularly the Seneca Nation, with more legal tools and state support to enforce land use restrictions and combat criminal activity on their lands, and to recog- nize tribal sovereignty in identifying and addressing intrusions, while promoting cooperative law enforcement through binding intergovernmental agreements. This will provide much needed clarifications and enhance- ments to existing laws to enable tribal nations to work more closely with County District Attorneys and local law enforcement in identifying and removing those engaging in drug trafficking and other criminal and vice activities from their lands.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Dec 19, 2025
Approval MEMO.46
APPROVAL MEMO.46
NY Assembly
Dec 19, 2025
Signed
SIGNED CHAP.665
NY Assembly
Dec 8, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
NY Assembly
Jun 10, 2025
3RD Reading CAL.1446
3RD READING CAL.1446
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate

Show full history (13 earlier events)

Jun 10, 2025
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED FOR S8127
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO SENATE
NY Assembly
Jun 9, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Jun 9, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
Jun 9, 2025
Rules Report CAL.529
RULES REPORT CAL.529
NY Assembly
Jun 6, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
NY Assembly
Jun 5, 2025
Reference Changed to Ways and Means
REFERENCE CHANGED TO WAYS AND MEANS
NY Assembly
Jun 4, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
May 29, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
May 28, 2025
1ST Report CAL.1446
1ST REPORT CAL.1446
NY Senate
May 15, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
NY Senate
May 9, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 22, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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