NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1242B
SPONSOR: Lancman (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the correction law, in relation to
subdirectory of level two and three sex offenders
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Allows New York residents to receive
notice of change or update in subdirectory bye-mail in specific locality
at no charge.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill amends subdivision 1 of
section 168-q of the correction law, as amended by chapter 10 of the
laws of 2003 to provide that any resident of the state may register with
the division to receive e-mail notification when a registration has been
entered or updated in the subdirectory of level two and three sex
offenders in a geographic area specified by the resident. E-mail updates
shall be provided free of charge for specific counties or zip codes.
 
JUSTIFICATION: The primary purpose of the state sex offender registry
is to provide information to help New Yorkers keep themselves and their
families safe from known sex offenders living in their communities.
While local law enforcement agencies may elect to distribute information
about registered sex offenders to the surrounding community, it is most
often the responsibility of concerned residents to monitor the registry.
A subdirectory of the highest risk, level two and three sex offenders is
available on the internet, but its information changes daily as new
offenders are added or existing registrants change their information.
E-mail updates would allow New Yorkers to keep tabs on a specific
geographic area, such as where they live or where their children attend
school, and would save them the time-consuming chore of making regular
visits to the subdirectory website and having to enter their personal
information before each visit.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2006 - 86352 - Referred to Crime Victims,
Crime & Correction
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after
it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1242--B
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 7, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LANCMAN, ALFANO, REILLY, COLTON -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. PHEFFER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Correction -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again
reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to subdirectory of level
two and three sex offenders
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 168-q of the correction law, as
2 amended by chapter 106 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. The division shall maintain a subdirectory of level two and three
5 sex offenders. The subdirectory shall include the exact address, address
6 of the offender's place of employment and photograph of the sex offender
7 along with the following information, if available: name, physical
8 description, age and distinctive markings. Background information
9 including the sex offender's crime of conviction, modus of operation,
10 type of victim targeted, the name and address of any institution of
11 higher education at which the sex offender is enrolled, attends, is
12 employed or resides and a description of special conditions imposed on
13 the sex offender shall also be included. The subdirectory shall have sex
14 offender listings categorized by county and zip code. A copy of the
15 subdirectory shall annually be distributed to the offices of local
16 village, town, city, county or state law enforcement agencies for
17 purposes of public access. The division shall distribute monthly updates
18 to the offices of local village, town, city, county or state law
19 enforcement agencies for purposes of public access. Such departments
20 shall require that a person in writing provide their name and address
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01051-08-9
A. 1242--B 2
1 prior to viewing the subdirectory. Any information identifying the
2 victim by name, birth date, address or relation to the sex offender
3 shall be excluded from the subdirectory distributed for purposes of
4 public access. The subdirectory provided for herein shall be updated
5 monthly to maintain its efficiency and usefulness and shall be computer
6 accessible. Such subdirectory shall be made available at all times on
7 the internet via the division homepage. Any person may apply to the
8 division to receive automated e-mail notifications whenever a new or
9 updated subdirectory registration occurs in a geographic area specified
10 by such person. The division shall furnish such service at no charge to
11 such person, who shall request e-mail notification by county and/or zip
12 code on forms developed and provided by the division. E-mail notifica-
13 tion is limited to three geographic areas per e-mail account.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
15 it shall have become a law.