A06501 Summary:

BILL NOA06501
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORGonzalez-Rojas
 
COSPNSRBurdick
 
MLTSPNSR
 
 
Creates a temporary state commission to study and investigate issues affecting reentry of women released from correctional facilities; provides for the repeal of such provisions.
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A06501 Actions:

BILL NOA06501
 
04/12/2023referred to correction
01/03/2024referred to correction
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A06501 Committee Votes:

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A06501 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A06501 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          6501
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     April 12, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M. of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Correction
 
        AN ACT to create a temporary state commission to study  and  investigate
          issues  affecting  reentry of women released from correctional facili-
          ties; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon  expiration
          thereof

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. A temporary state commission, to be known as the  New  York
     2  state  criminal  justice  commission  on  women's  reentry  (hereinafter
     3  "commission"), is hereby created to  study  issues,  including  relevant
     4  statutes,  regulations  and  existing programs involving women's reentry
     5  and re-integration of women  who  are  released  from  state  and  local
     6  correctional facilities.
     7    § 2. The commission shall investigate all factors that impede success-
     8  ful re-integration for women. The commission shall analyze the impact of
     9  existing  policies on successful reentry, identify specific obstacles to
    10  re-integration and compare policies of this  state  to  those  of  other
    11  states  and  the  federal  government. The commission shall collect data
    12  from state and federal agencies and may  analyze  any  current  research
    13  deemed  relevant  and  appropriate.  The commission shall examine issues
    14  relating to women's reentry, including, but not limited to,  identifying
    15  physical and psychological hardships endured while incarcerated that may
    16  impede successful reentry, identifying specific services that are neces-
    17  sary  for  successful  reentry,  identifying  current obstacles to women
    18  receiving these services, and proposing solutions to remove these obsta-
    19  cles. The commission specifically shall examine challenges  and  gender-
    20  responsive solutions in the following areas:
    21    a. Physical and mental health care, substance use and trauma;
    22    b. Housing;
    23    c. Employment and education;
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10511-01-3

        A. 6501                             2
 
     1    d. Family reunification and parental support;
     2    e. Domestic violence and sexual violence;
     3    f.  Access  to  legal  assistance  and current legal restrictions that
     4  create barriers to successful reentry;
     5    g. Integration of corrections, parole, and reentry, including the  use
     6  of parole and supervision; and coordination with community-based provid-
     7  ers.
     8    §  3.  a. The commission shall consist of eighteen members as follows:
     9  three members shall be appointed by the speaker of the  assembly;  three
    10  members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two
    11  members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and two
    12  members  shall  be  appointed  by  the  minority leader of the assembly.
    13  Members so appointed shall include a representative of  an  organization
    14  that  advocates  for  women  in the criminal justice system, a represen-
    15  tative of a domestic violence advocacy and/or services organization, two
    16  representatives from organizations that provides  reentry  services  for
    17  women,  an  attorney  with  expertise  in  women's reentry challenges, a
    18  representative of an organization that provides mental  health  services
    19  to  women,  a  representative of an organization that provides substance
    20  use treatment for  women,  a  representative  of  an  organization  that
    21  provides employment and education services to women, a professional with
    22  experience  in  women's  health issues and women's health issues in jail
    23  and prison, and an academic professional that studies the needs of women
    24  involved in the criminal justice system. The remaining members shall  be
    25  the  heads  of the following departments or agencies or their respective
    26  designees: the department of corrections and community supervision,  the
    27  department  of  criminal justice services, the office for the prevention
    28  of domestic violence, the department of health, the division of  housing
    29  and  community  renewal,  the  department  of labor or the department of
    30  education, the office of addiction services and supports, and the office
    31  of probation and correctional alternatives or the division of parole. No
    32  person shall be a member of such  commission  while  such  person  is  a
    33  member  of  the senate or assembly. Any vacancy on such commission shall
    34  be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was  made.  The
    35  chairperson of the commission shall be the head or designee of the divi-
    36  sion  of  criminal justice services. The vice-chairperson of the commis-
    37  sion shall be a representative of one of the  community-based  organiza-
    38  tions and appointed by the chairperson.
    39    b.  Except  as  provided  in subdivision a of this section, no member,
    40  officer or employee of the commission shall be disqualified from holding
    41  any other public office or employment, nor shall he or she  forfeit  any
    42  such office or employment by reason of his or her appointment hereunder,
    43  notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  any general, special or local law,
    44  ordinance or city charter.
    45    § 4. The members of the commission shall receive no  compensation  for
    46  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
    47  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
    48    §  5.  The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel
    49  as it may deem necessary for the performance of its  functions  and  fix
    50  their  compensation  within  the amounts made available by appropriation
    51  therefor.
    52    § 6. For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission  shall  be
    53  authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or
    54  analyses  it  may  deem relevant through its own personnel or in cooper-
    55  ation with or by agreement with any other public or private agency. Such
    56  commission shall meet and hold public hearings or private meetings with-

        A. 6501                             3
 
     1  in or without the state, and shall have all the powers of a  legislative
     2  committee pursuant to the legislative law.
     3    §  7.  The  commission may request and shall receive from any court in
     4  the state and from any subdivision, department, board,  bureau,  commis-
     5  sion,  office,  agency  or  other instrumentality of the state or of any
     6  political subdivision thereof such facilities, assistance and data as it
     7  deems necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers  and
     8  duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
     9    § 8. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any
    10  recommendations  for  legislative  action  as  it may deem necessary and
    11  appropriate, to the governor and the legislature no later than  eighteen
    12  months after this act shall have become a law.
    13    §  9.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
    14  deemed repealed two years after such date.
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