Bill Text: NY S00971 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides that a person convicted of murder in the first or second degree, or aggravated murder, in the death of a child who is less than thirteen years old shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - REFERRED TO CODES [S00971 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-S00971-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 971 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to a required sentence of life imprisonment without parole for the murder of a child The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of 2 section 70.00 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 107 of the laws of 3 2006, is amended to read as follows: 4 (i) For a class A-I felony, such minimum period shall not be less than 5 fifteen years nor more than twenty-five years; provided, however, that 6 (A) where a sentence, other than a sentence of death or life imprison- 7 ment without parole, is imposed upon a defendant convicted of murder in 8 the first degree as defined in section 125.27 of this chapter such mini- 9 mum period shall be not less than twenty years nor more than twenty-five 10 years, and, (B) where a sentence is imposed upon a defendant convicted 11 of murder in the second degree as defined in [subdivision five of] 12 section 125.25 of this chapter where the victim is less than thirteen 13 years old, or convicted of aggravated murder as defined in section 14 125.26 of this chapter, or convicted of murder in the first degree as 15 defined in section 125.27 of this chapter where the victim is less than 16 thirteen years old, the sentence shall be life imprisonment without 17 parole, and, (C) where a sentence is imposed upon a defendant convicted 18 of attempted murder in the first degree as defined in article one 19 hundred ten of this chapter and subparagraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of para- 20 graph (a) of subdivision one and paragraph (b) of subdivision one of 21 section 125.27 of this chapter or attempted aggravated murder as defined 22 in article one hundred ten of this chapter and section 125.26 of this 23 chapter such minimum period shall be not less than twenty years nor more 24 than forty years. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01576-01-5S. 971 2 1 § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 70.00 of the penal law, as amended by 2 section 40-a of part WWW of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 5. Life imprisonment without parole. Notwithstanding any other 5 provision of law, a defendant sentenced to life imprisonment without 6 parole shall not be or become eligible for parole or conditional 7 release. For purposes of commitment and custody, other than parole and 8 conditional release, such sentence shall be deemed to be an indetermi- 9 nate sentence. [A] Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a 10 defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon 11 conviction for the crime of murder in the first degree as defined in 12 section 125.27 of this chapter and in accordance with the procedures 13 provided by law for imposing a sentence for such crime. A defendant who 14 was eighteen years of age or older at the time of the commission of the 15 crime must be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon 16 conviction for the crime of terrorism as defined in section 490.25 of 17 this chapter, where the specified offense the defendant committed is a 18 class A-I felony; the crime of criminal possession of a chemical weapon 19 or biological weapon in the first degree as defined in section 490.45 of 20 this chapter; or the crime of criminal use of a chemical weapon or 21 biological weapon in the first degree as defined in section 490.55 of 22 this chapter; provided, however, that nothing in this subdivision shall 23 preclude or prevent a sentence of death when the defendant is also 24 convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree as defined in 25 section 125.27 of this chapter. A defendant who was seventeen years of 26 age or younger at the time of the commission of the crime may be 27 sentenced, in accordance with law, to the applicable indeterminate 28 sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment. A defendant must be 29 sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon conviction for the 30 crime of murder in the second degree as defined in [subdivision five of] 31 section 125.25 of this chapter, aggravated murder as defined in section 32 125.26 of this chapter, or murder in the first degree as defined in 33 section 125.27 of this chapter, where the victim was less than thirteen 34 years old, or for the crime of aggravated murder as defined in subdivi- 35 sion one of section 125.26 of this chapter. [A defendant may be36sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon conviction for the37crime of aggravated murder as defined in subdivision two of section38125.26 of this chapter.] 39 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
