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.