Bill Text: NY A03696 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a temporary state commission to study and make recommendations on violence in state correctional facilities including the causes and consequences of such violence with a particular emphasis on changes in levels of violence and the causes of those changes.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-30 - referred to correction [A03696 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A03696-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3696

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 30, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  WEPRIN,  PALMESANO,  JONES  -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Correction

        AN ACT establishing a temporary  state  commission  to  study  and  make
          recommendations  on  violence  in  state  correctional facilities; and
          providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. A temporary state commission is hereby created to study and
     2  make  recommendations to the governor and the legislature concerning the
     3  causes and consequences of violence in  state  correctional  facilities.
     4  The  commission  will  place particular emphasis on changes in levels of
     5  violence and the causes of those changes, but will not be restricted  to
     6  those topics.
     7    §  2.  a.  The  commission  shall  consist  of  fourteen members to be
     8  appointed as follows:
     9    (i) the commissioner of the department of  correctional  services  and
    10  community  supervision  or such commissioner's designee, who shall serve
    11  as chair of the commission;
    12    (ii) the commissioner of the office of mental health or  such  commis-
    13  sioner's designee;
    14    (iii) the president of the union representing correctional officers or
    15  such president's designee;
    16    (iv)  the president of the union representing correctional lieutenants
    17  or such president's designee;
    18    (v) the president of the union representing professional employees  or
    19  such president's designee;
    20    (vi)  the  president  of  John Jay College of Criminal Justice or such
    21  president's designee;
    22    (vii) the executive director of the Correctional  Association  of  New
    23  York or such executive director's designee;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07453-01-5
        A. 3696                             2

     1    (viii) the executive director of Prisoner's Legal Services of New York
     2  or such executive director's designee; and
     3    (ix) six members to be appointed as follows:
     4    (1) two shall be appointed by the governor;
     5    (2)  two  shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
     6  and
     7    (3) two shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
     8    b. Vacancies in the appointed  members  of  the  commission  shall  be
     9  filled  in  the manner provided for original appointments. Membership on
    10  the commission shall not constitute a public office.
    11    § 3. The members of the commission shall receive no  compensation  for
    12  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
    13  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
    14    §  4. The members of the commission shall be given unrestricted access
    15  to all state correctional facilities and to receive unredacted copies of
    16  any documents maintained by such facilities, although documents that are
    17  confidential under state or federal law may not be disclosed by  members
    18  of the commission to individuals or organizations otherwise unauthorized
    19  to receive such documents and all such copies of such documents shall be
    20  destroyed upon the expiration of this act.
    21    §  5.  The commission shall publish a final report of its findings and
    22  make any recommendations it may deem necessary and  appropriate  to  the
    23  governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the senate, the speaker of the
    24  assembly, the  chairperson  of  the  senate  crime  victims,  crime  and
    25  correction  committee  and  the  chairperson  of the assembly correction
    26  committee no later than two years after the effective date of this act.
    27    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    28  deemed repealed two years after such date.