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A06881 Summary:

BILL NOA06881
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORDinowitz
 
COSPNSRZebrowski, Sillitti
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd 168-f, Cor L
 
Provides registration requirements applicable to level three sex offenders and sexual predators who are transient.
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A06881 Actions:

BILL NOA06881
 
05/08/2023referred to correction
01/03/2024referred to correction
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A06881 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A6881
 
SPONSOR: Dinowitz
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the correction law, in relation to registration require- ments applicable to certain sex offenders who are transient   PURPOSE: To remedy the Sex Offender Registration Act being deemed unconstitu- tional as it relates to homeless sex. offenders.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section one of the bill amends subdivision 3 of § 168-f of the correction law to, for this subdivision, define transient as "a person who has no residence" and residence as "one or more addresses at which a person regularly resides, regardless of the number of days or night's spent there, such as a shelter or structure that can be located by a street address, including, but not limited to, houses, apartment buildings, motels, hotels, homeless shelters, and recreational and other vehicles." This subdivision also obligates any person who is required to register pursuant to this article (the Sex Offender Regis- tration Act) and who is a transient to: (i) Register within five days after being released from incarceration, placement or commitment, or probation unless he or she registered as a transient within thirty delta from the date of their release from incar- ceration (ii) Re-register every thirty days after initial registration (iii) Provide a list of the places he or she sleeps, eats, works, frequents, and engages in leisure activity, in addition to current information as required by the division of criminal justice services (DCJS), however, if he or she changes or adds to the places listed on the form during the thirty day period, he or she is not required to report the new place or places until the next required re-registration (iv) Register with the local law enforcement agency in which he or she is present or the sheriff of the county, within five working days of coming into the state if he or she was convicted in another jurisdiction (v) Register in the jurisdiction in which he or she is physically pres- ent on the fifth working day following release if he or she is not phys- ically present in any one jurisdiction for five consecutive working days (vi) Within five business days of moving out of state inform the local law enforcement agency where he or she is physically present, in person, of his or her move out of state and of his or her planned destination residence, or transient location out of state, and any plans he or she has to return to the state, if known and requires the law enforcement agency to forward a copy of the change of location to DCJS within three days who shall then forward the appropriate registration data to the law enforcement agency having local jurisdiction or the new place of resi- dence or location. Section two of the bill provides the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: On February 02, 2023, the Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Judi- cial Department found that the part of the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) requiring a sex offender designated as a sexual predator or a level three sex offender to verify his or her address with the appropri- ate authorities every ninety days "void for vagueness when applied to one who is homeless without an address." The Court stated their holding should not be taken to mean that all homeless sex offenders were exempt from the statute's reporting requirements, but that their decision rendered unconstitutional the address registration requirement as applied to homeless sex offenders who possess no address for their resi- dence, specifically mentioning that it did not exempt homeless sex offenders who were able to provide an address such as a shelter at which they were staying. The Court also asserted that it was "uniquely within the legislative province to develop registration requirements that will apply to sex offenders who are homeless and without a specific address to report to the pertinent authorities." This legislation seeks to do just that. Modeled after California law, this bill would require a home- less person designated as a sex offender to provide the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) a list of places where he or she sleeps, eats, works, and spends time, every thirty days, regardless of their designation.It also establishes procedures for when a homeless sex offender enters or leaves the state or if he or she is not in one juris- diction for five consecutive working days.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to the State   EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.
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A06881 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          6881
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       May 8, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Correction
 
        AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to registration require-
          ments applicable to certain sex offenders who are transient
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 168-f of the  correction  law,  as
     2  amended  by  chapter  364  of  the  laws  of 2012, is amended to read as
     3  follows:
     4    3. (a) The provisions of subdivision two  of  this  section  shall  be
     5  applied to a sex offender required to register under this article except
     6  that  such  sex  offender designated as a sexual predator or having been
     7  given a level three  designation  must  personally  verify  his  or  her
     8  address with the local law enforcement agency every ninety calendar days
     9  after  the  date  of  release  or commencement of parole or post-release
    10  supervision, or probation, or release on payment of a fine,  conditional
    11  discharge  or  unconditional discharge. At such time the law enforcement
    12  agency having jurisdiction may take a new photograph of such sex  offen-
    13  der if it appears that the offender has had a change in appearance since
    14  the most recent photograph taken pursuant to paragraph (b-2) of subdivi-
    15  sion  two of this section. If such photograph is taken, the law enforce-
    16  ment agency shall promptly forward a copy  of  such  photograph  to  the
    17  division.  The  duty to personally verify shall be temporarily suspended
    18  during any period in which the sex offender is confined to any state  or
    19  local  correctional  facility,  hospital  or institution and shall imme-
    20  diately recommence on the date of the sex offender's release.
    21    (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of  this  subdivi-
    22  sion,  any person who is required to register under this article and who
    23  is living as a transient shall register as follows:
    24    (i) A transient shall register within five  days  after  release  from
    25  incarceration,  placement or commitment, or probation unless such person
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09892-01-3

        A. 6881                             2
 
     1  registered as a transient within thirty days  from  the  date  of  their
     2  release from incarceration.
     3    (ii)    After  initial registration, he or she shall re-register every
     4  thirty days.
     5    (iii)   A  transient  shall,  upon  registration  and  reregistration,
     6  provide  current  information  as  required on the division registration
     7  forms, and shall also list the places where  he  or  she  sleeps,  eats,
     8  works,  frequents,  and  engages  in  leisure activities. If a transient
     9  changes or adds to the places listed on the form during  the  thirty-day
    10  period,  he or she does not need to report the new place or places until
    11  the next required reregistration.
    12    (iv)   If a transient convicted in  another  jurisdiction  enters  the
    13  state,  he or she shall register within five working days of coming into
    14  the state with the local law enforcement agency in which he  or  she  is
    15  present or the sheriff of the county.
    16    (v)   If a transient is not physically present in any one jurisdiction
    17  for five consecutive working days, he  or  she  shall  register  in  the
    18  jurisdiction in which he or she is physically present on the fifth work-
    19  ing day following release.
    20    (vi)     A transient who moves out of state shall within five business
    21  days inform the local law enforcement agency where he or  she  is  phys-
    22  ically present, in person, of his or her move out of state and of his or
    23  her  planned  destination, residence or transient location out of state,
    24  and any plans he or she has to return to the state, if known.   The  law
    25  enforcement agency shall, within three days after receipt of this infor-
    26  mation,  forward  a  copy  of  the change of location information to the
    27  division. The division shall forward appropriate  registration  data  to
    28  the law enforcement agency having local jurisdiction of the new place of
    29  residence or location.
    30    (c) For purposes of this subdivision:
    31    (i) "Transient" shall mean a person who has no residence.
    32    (ii)  "Residence"  shall  mean one or more addresses at which a person
    33  regularly resides, regardless of the number  of  days  or  nights  spent
    34  there,  such  as  a shelter or structure that can be located by a street
    35  address, including, but not limited  to,  houses,  apartment  buildings,
    36  motels, hotels, homeless shelters, and recreational and other vehicles.
    37    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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