NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5577
SPONSOR: Ryan TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to the possession and sale of
methamphetamine
PURPOSE OF BILL:
To amend the penal law, so that the penalties for the possession and or
sale of methamphetamine are similar to that of the penalties for
possession and/or sale of heroin and cocaine.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the penal law by adding a new subdivision 9 to section 220.06
making it a Class D felony to possess one or more preparations,
compounds, mixtures or substances containing methamphetamine, its salts,
isomers or salts of isomers and said preparations, compounds, mixtures
or substances if of an aggregate weight of one hundred milligrams or
more.
Amends subdivision 2 of section 220.09 of the penal law making it a
Class C felony to possess one or more preparations, compounds, mixture
or substances containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts
isomers and said preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances if an
aggregate weight of one gram or more. Current law makes it a Class felo-
ny for possession of one-half ounce or more of methamphetamine.
Amends subdivision 7 of section 220.16 of the penal law making it a
Class B felony if there is an intent to sell one or more preparations,
compounds, mixtures or substances containing methamphetamine, its salts,
isomers or salts of isomers or for the possession of said preparations,
compounds, mixtures or substances of an aggregate weight of one-eighth
ounce or more. Current law requires the intent to sell and possession of
an aggregate weight of one-eighth ounce or more of methamphetamine to be
considered a Class B felony.
Amends the penal law by adding a new subdivision 3 to section 220.21
making it a Class A-1 felony to possess one or more preparations,
compounds, mixtures or substances containing methamphetamine, its salt
isomers or salts of isomers and said preparations, compounds, mixtures
or substances if of an aggregate weight of five ounces or more.
Amends subdivision 7 of section 220.39 of the penal law, making the sale
of one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances contain-
ing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers a Class B
felony. Current law requires the aggregate weight of the methamphetamine
being sold to be one-eighth ounce or more in order to be considered a
Class B felony.
Amends the penal law by adding a new subdivision 3 to section 220.43
making it a Class A-1 felony for the sale of one or more preparations,
compounds, mixtures or substances containing methamphetamine, its salts,
isomers or salts of isomers and said preparations, compounds, mixtures
or substances if of an aggregate weight of two ounces or more.
JUSTIFICATION:
The US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center has
reported domestic methamphetamine availability is at a five year high,
the result of increasing large scale production of the drug in Mexico
and increases in the small scale production in the United States. For
the second consecutive year, seizures of methamphetamine laboratories in
the United States have risen as a result of the prevalence of what the
US Department of Justice refers to as small scale "one pot" or "shake
and bake" laboratories.
Overall methamphetamine availability is high and increasing, with
seizure, price, and purity levels indicating an increase in availability
or the drug in the US drug markets since 2009. Data available through
the System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE) suggest
that as the price of methamphetamine decreases, its use increases, as
indicated by price numbers for the drug in 2009 when it reached its
lowest level since 2005, another year of increased use.
While methamphetamine has traditionally been associated with Western and
Southern regions of the country, its influence, and thus its sale and
possession are moving towards the East Coast. This legislation will make
the penalties for possession and or sale of methamphetamine the same as
that of the possession and/or sale of cocaine and heroin. In doing so
New York State will join neighboring states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and
Massachusetts in implementing strict methamphetamine laws, and solidi-
fies a preventive block against the drug's use and sale of the North-
eastern part of the US.
Current methamphetamine laws in New York are lax, underestimating a
growing problem and leaving the state vulnerable to its widespread use
and sale. As methamphetamine use and sale moves east and small scale
production increases, this legislation will provide New York's justice
system the means necessary to ensure New York State does not become
grounds for prevalent methamphetamine use. With the average age of an
individual having used methamphetamine in New York State being nineteen
years of age, this legislation is a preventive effort by the State of
New York to deter methamphetamine use and production within its border
and keep its sale off our streets, and protect our children from the
dangerous and potentially its use.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2013 - A.3289
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become law and shall apply only to offenses
committed on or after such date; offenses committed prior to such date
shall be governed by the provisions of law in effect at the time the
offense was committed.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5577
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 27, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RYAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to the possession and sale of
methamphetamine
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 220.06 of the penal law, as added
2 by chapter 264 of the laws of 2003, is amended and a new subdivision 9
3 is added to read as follows:
4 8. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
5 containing gamma hydroxybutyric acid, as defined in paragraph four of
6 subdivision (e) of schedule I of section thirty-three hundred six of the
7 public health law, and said preparations, compounds, mixtures or
8 substances are of an aggregate weight of twenty-eight grams or more[.];
9 or
10 9. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
11 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers and
12 said preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances are of an aggregate
13 weight of one hundred milligrams or more.
14 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 220.09 of the penal law, as amended by
15 chapter 75 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
16 2. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
17 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers and
18 said preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances are of an aggregate
19 weight of [one-half ounce] one gram or more; or
20 § 3. Subdivision 7 of section 220.16 of the penal law, as amended by
21 chapter 75 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
22 7. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
23 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers with
24 intent to sell it [and] or said preparations, compounds, mixtures or
25 substances are of an aggregate weight of one-eighth ounce or more; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00465-01-5
A. 5577 2
1 § 4. Subdivision 2 of section 220.21 of the penal law, as amended by
2 chapter 75 of the laws of 1995, is amended and a new subdivision 3 is
3 added to read as follows:
4 2. methadone and said methadone weighs five thousand seven hundred
5 sixty milligrams or more[.]; or
6 3. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
7 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers and
8 said preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances are of an aggregate
9 weight of five ounces or more.
10 § 5. Subdivision 7 of section 220.39 of the penal law, as amended by
11 chapter 75 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
12 7. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
13 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers [and
14 the preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances are of an aggregate
15 weight of one-eighth ounce or more]; or
16 § 6. Subdivision 2 of section 220.43 of the penal law, as amended by
17 chapter 75 of the laws of 1995, is amended and a new subdivision 3 is
18 added to read as follows:
19 2. methadone and the methadone weighs two thousand eight hundred
20 eighty milligrams or more[.]; or
21 3. one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances
22 containing methamphetamine, its salts, isomers or salts of isomers and
23 said preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances are of an aggregate
24 weight of two ounces or more.
25 § 7. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
26 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply only to
27 offenses committed on or after such date; offenses committed prior to
28 such date shall be governed by the provisions of law in effect at the
29 time the offense was committed.
