Bill Text: NY S02457 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Expands the amount of information available to police and the public, by means of the internet, on registered sex offenders; authorizes any person to register with the division of criminal justice services to receive e-mail notification of all sex offenders residing within their zip code.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION [S02457 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S02457-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2457
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 23, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, AVELLA, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered
         printed,  and  when  printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime
         Victims, Crime and Correction
       AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to the  registration  of
         sex offenders
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 168-b of the  correction  law,  as
    2  amended  by  chapter  106  of  the  laws  of 2006, is amended to read as
    3  follows:
    4    6. The division shall also establish a [subdirectory] DIRECTORY pursu-
    5  ant to section one hundred sixty-eight-q of this article.
    6    S 2.  Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision 6 of section 168-l of
    7  the correction law, paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 106 of the  laws
    8  of 2006, paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 513 of the laws of 2011 and
    9  paragraph  (c) as separately amended by chapters 318 and 680 of the laws
   10  of 2005, are amended to read as follows:
   11    (a) If the risk of repeat offense is  low,  a  level  one  designation
   12  shall  be  given  to such sex offender. In such case the law enforcement
   13  agency or agencies having jurisdiction and the law enforcement agency or
   14  agencies having had jurisdiction at the time of his  or  her  conviction
   15  shall  be  notified  and  may disseminate relevant information which may
   16  include a photograph and description  of  the  offender  and  which  may
   17  include  the  name of the sex offender, approximate address based on sex
   18  offender's zip code, background  information  including  the  offender's
   19  crime  of  conviction,  modus of operation, type of victim targeted, the
   20  name and address of any institution of higher education at which the sex
   21  offender  is  enrolled,  attends,  is  employed  or  resides   and   the
   22  description  of special conditions imposed on the offender to any entity
   23  with vulnerable populations related to the nature of the offense commit-
   24  ted by such sex offender. Any entity  receiving  information  on  a  sex
   25  offender  may  disclose  or  further disseminate such information at its
   26  discretion. IN ADDITION, IN EACH SUCH CASE, THE NAME OF THE  SEX  OFFEN-
   27  DER,  A  PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SEX OFFENDER AND APPROXIMATE ADDRESS BASED ON
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07547-01-5
       S. 2457                             2
    1  THE SEX OFFENDER'S ZIP CODE SHALL ALSO  BE  PROVIDED  IN  THE  DIRECTORY
    2  ESTABLISHED IN THIS ARTICLE.
    3    (b) If the risk of repeat offense is moderate, a level two designation
    4  shall  be  given  to such sex offender. In such case the law enforcement
    5  agency or agencies having jurisdiction and the law enforcement agency or
    6  agencies having had jurisdiction at the time of his  or  her  conviction
    7  shall  be  notified and may disseminate relevant information which shall
    8  include a photograph and description  of  the  offender  and  which  may
    9  include  the  exact name and any aliases used by the sex offender, exact
   10  address,  background  information  including  the  offender's  crime  of
   11  conviction,  mode  of  operation,  type of victim targeted, the name and
   12  address of any institution of higher education at which the sex offender
   13  is enrolled, attends, is employed or  resides  and  the  description  of
   14  special conditions imposed on the offender to any entity with vulnerable
   15  populations  related  to the nature of the offense committed by such sex
   16  offender. Any  entity  receiving  information  on  a  sex  offender  may
   17  disclose  or  further disseminate such information at its discretion. In
   18  addition, in such case, the information described [herein] IN THIS PARA-
   19  GRAPH shall also be provided in the [subdirectory] DIRECTORY established
   20  in this article and notwithstanding any other  provision  of  law,  such
   21  information shall, upon request, be made available to the public.
   22    Such  law  enforcement  agencies  shall compile, maintain and update a
   23  listing of vulnerable organizational entities within  its  jurisdiction.
   24  Such listing shall be utilized for notification of such organizations in
   25  disseminating  such  information  on level two sex offenders pursuant to
   26  this paragraph. Such listing  shall  include  and  not  be  limited  to:
   27  superintendents  of  schools or chief school administrators, superinten-
   28  dents of parks, public and private libraries, public and private  school
   29  bus  transportation  companies,  day care centers, nursery schools, pre-
   30  schools, neighborhood watch groups,  community  centers,  civic  associ-
   31  ations, nursing homes, victim's advocacy groups and places of worship.
   32    (c) If the risk of repeat offense is high and there exists a threat to
   33  the  public  safety a level three designation shall be given to such sex
   34  offender. In such case, the law enforcement agency  or  agencies  having
   35  jurisdiction  and  the  law  enforcement  agency  or agencies having had
   36  jurisdiction at the time of his or her conviction shall be notified  and
   37  may  disseminate  relevant  information which shall include a photograph
   38  and description of the offender and which may include the sex offender's
   39  exact name and any aliases used by the offender, exact address,  address
   40  of  the offender's place of employment, background information including
   41  the offender's crime of conviction, mode of operation,  type  of  victim
   42  targeted, the name and address of any institution of higher education at
   43  which  the sex offender is enrolled, attends, is employed or resides and
   44  the description of special conditions imposed on  the  offender  to  any
   45  entity  with vulnerable populations related to the nature of the offense
   46  committed by such sex offender. Any entity receiving  information  on  a
   47  sex offender may disclose or further disseminate such information at its
   48  discretion.  In addition, in such case, the information described [here-
   49  in] IN THIS PARAGRAPH shall  also  be  provided  in  the  [subdirectory]
   50  DIRECTORY  established  in  this  article  and notwithstanding any other
   51  provision of law, such information shall, upon request, be  made  avail-
   52  able to the public.
   53    Such  law  enforcement  agencies  shall compile, maintain and update a
   54  listing of vulnerable organizational entities within  its  jurisdiction.
   55  Such listing shall be utilized for notification of such organizations in
   56  disseminating  such information on level three sex offenders pursuant to
       S. 2457                             3
    1  this paragraph. Such listing  shall  include  and  not  be  limited  to:
    2  superintendents  of  schools or chief school administrators, superinten-
    3  dents of parks, public and private libraries, public and private  school
    4  bus  transportation  companies,  day care centers, nursery schools, pre-
    5  schools, neighborhood watch groups,  community  centers,  civic  associ-
    6  ations, nursing homes, victim's advocacy groups and places of worship.
    7    S  3.  The  section  heading and subdivision 1 of section 168-q of the
    8  correction law, the section heading as amended by  chapter  106  of  the
    9  laws  of 2006 and subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 462 of the laws of
   10  2014, are amended to read as follows:
   11    [Subdirectory] DIRECTORY; internet posting.   1.  The  division  shall
   12  maintain  a  [subdirectory  of  level  two  and three sex offenders. The
   13  subdirectory] DIRECTORY WHICH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT  ALL  TIMES  ON
   14  THE INTERNET VIA THE DIVISION HOMEPAGE FOR PURPOSES OF PUBLIC ACCESS.
   15    (A)  IN  THE  CASE  OF  A  SEX OFFENDER WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN A LEVEL ONE
   16  DESIGNATION, THE DIRECTORY SHALL INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE SEX OFFENDER, A
   17  PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SEX OFFENDER AND APPROXIMATE ADDRESS BASED ON THE  SEX
   18  OFFENDER'S ZIP CODE.
   19    (B)  IN  THE  CASE OF A SEX OFFENDER WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN A LEVEL TWO OR
   20  THREE DESIGNATION,  THE  DIRECTORY  shall  include  the  exact  address,
   21  address  of the offender's place of employment and photograph of the sex
   22  offender along with the following information, if available: name, phys-
   23  ical description, age and distinctive markings.  Background  information
   24  including  all  of  the sex offender's crimes of conviction that require
   25  him or her to register pursuant to this  article,  modus  of  operation,
   26  type  of  victim  targeted,  the  name and address of any institution of
   27  higher education at which the sex  offender  is  enrolled,  attends,  is
   28  employed  or  resides and a description of special conditions imposed on
   29  the sex offender shall also be included. [The  subdirectory  shall  have
   30  sex offender listings categorized by county and zip code. Such subdirec-
   31  tory  shall be made available at all times on the internet via the divi-
   32  sion homepage. Any person may apply to the division to receive automated
   33  e-mail notifications whenever a new or updated subdirectory registration
   34  occurs in a geographic area specified by such person. The division shall
   35  furnish such service at no charge to  such  person,  who  shall  request
   36  e-mail  notification  by  county  and/or zip code on forms developed and
   37  provided by the  division.  E-mail  notification  is  limited  to  three
   38  geographic areas per e-mail account.]
   39    (C)  THE DIVISION SHALL, ON ITS INTERNET HOMEPAGE, PROVIDE A MEANS FOR
   40  ANY PERSON TO REGISTER TO RECEIVE NOTICE  AT  SUCH  PERSON'S  ELECTRONIC
   41  MAIL  ADDRESS  OF  ALL  SEX  OFFENDERS  WHO RESIDE OR MOVE INTO THE AREA
   42  ENCOMPASSED BY SUCH PERSON'S ZIP CODE. THE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE TIMELY
   43  NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC MAIL TO EACH PERSON WHO REGISTERS PURSUANT TO  THIS
   44  PARAGRAPH  OF  EVERY  SEX OFFENDER RESIDING IN AND OF EVERY SEX OFFENDER
   45  WHO MOVES INTO THE PERSON'S ZIP CODE.  SUCH  NOTICE  SHALL  INCLUDE  ALL
   46  INFORMATION  AUTHORIZED TO BE DISCLOSED ON EACH SUCH SEX OFFENDER PURSU-
   47  ANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OR (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   48    S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   49  it shall have become a law; provided, that if chapter 462 of the laws of
   50  2014 shall not have taken effect on or before such effective  date,  the
   51  amendments to subdivision 1 of section 168-q of the correction law, made
   52  by section three of this act, shall take effect on the effective date of
   53  such chapter.
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