Boyland helps pass bipartisan legislation to protect families from sexual predators

Banning Viagra to sex offenders

Assemblyman William F. Boyland, Jr. sponsored bipartisan legislation to stop the outrageous practice of allowing registered sex offenders to receive Viagra and other sexual performance-enhancing medical aids through state-funded health insurance programs (A.8999).

Taxpayer dollars from Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, Healthy NY, EPIC and individual enrollee direct payment contracts should never go toward sexual performance-enhancing drugs or procedures for convicted sex offenders. The Legislature and governor’s agreement is another important step toward safeguarding our families.

Strengthening Megan’s Law

To better protect the public, the Legislature worked together to strengthen New York’s sex offenders’ registration statute, commonly known as Megan’s Law. These measures protect families by ensuring information is exchanged thoroughly and quickly:

• The most severe offenders must update their online photograph annually (Chap. 56 of 2005)

• Moderate- and high-risk sex offenders will be required to register any aliases (A.2664)

• The state must notify local social services when a released sex offender seeks homeless housing assistance (Chap. 410 of 2005)

• A new law will enhance the notification by law enforcement of organizations that serve our vulnerable populations – including schools, day care centers and neighborhood watch groups when a sex offender arrives in a community (A.2252-A)

Safeguarding our communities

Beyond Megan’s Law, the Legislature worked together to ensure that our children and communities are protected.

• Day and overnight camps must run background checks on job candidates (Chap. 260 of 2005)

• Registered sex offenders are prohibited from driving ice cream trucks (A.2550-B)

• Adult offenders who force children under 16 into prostitution can receive a sentence of up to 25 years in prison (Chap. 450 of 2005)

• Sex offenders are prohibited from working on community work crews operated by the New York Department of Correctional Services (Chap. 252 or 2005)

• Courts will be able to determine a sex offender’s risk level, even if the offender is notified of the hearing but fails to appear (A.3758-A)

• The state will help local communities set up Amber Alert child abduction systems (Chap. 348 of 2005)

Assemblyman Boyland continues to fight for stronger measures against sex offenders

Although several new measures are being implemented to keep sex offenders away from our children and communities, Assemblyman William F. Boyland, Jr. urged the Senate and governor to join the Assembly in enacting additional legislation to continue improving the safety of New York families.

Additional steps to enhance the sex offender registry

My legislation ensures Megan’s Law is as effective as possible:

• High-level and repeat offense sex predators will remain registered for life (A.8369)

• Moderate- and high-risk sex offenders’ information will be available on the Internet (A.8370)

• Alleged sex offenders acquitted by reason of insanity must register after release (A.966)

• Offenders must have a new photograph taken upon registering (A.1159)

• Low- and moderate-level risk offenders have an extended period to register to account for any non-compliance of Megan’s Law (A.1342)

• An independent study of the law’s effectiveness will take place to keep Megan’s Law an effective crime-fighting tool (A.8368)

• Police officers will visit residences of sex offenders who do not file an annual registration form on time (A.7707). Offenders who do not register at that point can be considered in violation of their parole or probation and are guilty of a crime

Repealing the statute of limitations in sexual assault cases

To continue keeping New York families safe from sexual predators, the Assembly passed legislation to effectively prosecute sex offenders who committed crimes years ago with a repealed statute of limitations for both criminal and civil cases in instances where DNA evidence linked the perpetrator to the crime.

Prosecutors could also use today’s DNA technology to indict criminals who committed atrocities years ago (A.7607, A.8416-A, A.8705). Closing this loophole would mean criminals would not be able to escape justice with the passage of time.

Keeping dangerous criminals away from our children

To ensure the state is doing all it can to protect our children from sexual predators, three Assembly committees will hold public panels on proposals to enact civil commitment legislation – which provides the chance to keep these felons behind bars beyond their original sentence if they are deemed to be a continuing threat.

Doing more to ensure community safety from predators

Assemblyman William F. Boyland, Jr. sponsored additional legislation to protect New York families:

• The act of luring a child under 14 to a secluded place for the purpose of committing a violent or sexual act will be a felony (A.2467)

• The Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole will establish mandatory supervision and treatment of sex offenders and require electronic or GPS monitoring of high-risk level offenders (A.8507)

• Clergy, along with teachers, health professionals and others, will be mandated to report all instances of child abuse to the police (A.912-A)