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Read. Follow. Verify.New York bill establishes county diversion parts, expands judicial diversion eligibility, and limits guilty plea requirements
Last action · September 23, 2026: REFERRED TO RULESSponsor: Nathalia Fernández
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 10706 requires the Chief Administrator of the Courts to establish a diversion part in each county court, broadens eligibility to individuals with qualifying mental health or substance use diagnoses regardless of specific felony classifications, and eliminates mandatory guilty pleas for most participating defendants.
Changes court procedures and treatment access for criminal defendants across New York by replacing substance-specific eligibility with a diagnosis-based framework, setting annual reporting mandates, and restricting law enforcement supervision during treatment.
- Judicial diversion programs in New York allow eligible defendants facing certain charges to participate in court-supervised treatment as an alternative to traditional prosecution or incarceration. context
- Nathalia Fernandez represents District 34 in the New York State Senate. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Criminal defendants with qualifying diagnoses
Defendants with mental health or substance use disorders become eligible for judicial diversion without mandatory guilty pleas and receive individualized treatment plans.
Court administration and judges
Must establish county diversion parts, ensure specialized annual training for staff, and compile detailed annual reports.
Treatment providers
Collaborate on clinical evaluations, create individualized treatment plans, and assist in post-graduation planning.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the judicial diversion program under this bill?
Is a guilty plea required to enter the judicial diversion program?
What happens if a participant successfully completes the program?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Sep 23, 2026SenateCommitteeREFERRED TO RULES
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition from Substance-Specific to Diagnosis-Based Diversion
The legislation shifts New York's judicial diversion framework from focusing strictly on specific felony offenses and substance use to a broader diagnosis-based categorization including mental health disorders.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.nysenate.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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