STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9925
IN SENATE
April 16, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and
Correction
AN ACT to establish a temporary commission to study music and performing
arts education programs in New York state correctional facilities; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
of
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. Music and performing arts education
2 programs are proven to be effective at lowering the recidivism rates of
3 incarcerated individuals. While the three-year recidivism rate in New
4 York is sixty percent, participants in arts education programs have a
5 recidivism rate of only three percent. Understanding how to expand music
6 and performing arts education programs in state prisons will help ensure
7 incarcerated individuals are able to become well integrated members of
8 society after they have served their sentences. This legislation will
9 create a temporary state commission to study and make recommendations on
10 how to expand music and performing arts education programs for youth and
11 adults in New York state correctional facilities.
12 § 2. (a) A temporary state commission is hereby created to study
13 current music and performing arts education programs in New York state
14 correctional facilities, and to make recommendations on how to expand
15 these programs. The commission shall study programs for both youth and
16 adult incarcerated individuals.
17 (b) 1. The commission shall consist of eleven members, to be appointed
18 as follows: five members shall be appointed by the governor, of which
19 one shall be from the department of corrections and community super-
20 vision, one shall be from the New York state council on the arts, and at
21 least one shall be a formerly incarcerated individual; two members shall
22 be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two members shall
23 be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member shall be
24 appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and one member shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15091-02-6
S. 9925 2
1 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The commission shall
2 elect a member to serve as chair.
3 2. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
4 their services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
5 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The commis-
6 sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem
7 necessary for the performance of its functions and fix their compen-
8 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
9 (c) The commission may request and shall receive from any agency in
10 the state and from any subdivision, department, board, bureau, commis-
11 sion, office, agency or other instrumentality of the state or of any
12 political subdivision thereof such facilities, assistance and data as it
13 deems necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers and
14 duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
15 (d) The report shall include any recommendations for legislative
16 action as it may deem necessary and appropriate and shall be delivered
17 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
18 the assembly, and posted on the website of the secretary of state no
19 later than one year after the effective date of this act. The report
20 shall also be posted on the website of the governor.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
22 deemed repealed 2 years after such date.
